Guwahati: A voluntary organization headed by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has unearthed a new scandal.
Hundreds of girls and women from northeastern India, especially Assam, are now being forced into the flesh trade in southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The coastal areas of these states have emerged new hotspot for sex trafficking.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA, save children movement) uncovered the ugly and hitherto unknown dimension of sex trade, reported the Assam Tribune.
The BBA’s yet-to-be-released report has found large-scale trafficking of young girls and women from Assam and its neighboring areas.
The findings suggest a growing demand for young girls and women from the northeastern India for sex trade in the south.
Researchers and activists say the exodus started couple of years ago. These women are also being exploited as cheap work force in garment industries.
Investigation made by the BBA team found that the victims have been sold to unscrupulous elements operating in those areas, after which they were subjected to both physical and sexual exploitation.
“During day time, they are employed in garment factories and other allied industries, and at night they are sexually exploited. It’s a very new and disturbing trend witnessed in the southern part of India,” Rakesh Senger, head of the victims’ assistance cell of BBA, told The Assam Tribune.
Places in close proximity to Coimbatore have large-scale presence of trafficked young girls from Assam, he added.
Until recently, it was mostly to northern India that women the North East were lured with promises of lucrative jobs and better lifestyle. The developments in the southern India are certainly new and alarming, Senger said, adding, “The report that we are compiling will carry upsetting and unknown facets of sex trade involving girls from the North East India.”
He said that the traffickers now use new routes and the Rangiya station is one of the major transit routes.
In view of the trend witnessed in southern India, the BBA has decided to impart training to the law-enforcers, especially those dealing with human trafficking and flesh trade.
He also stated that besides the North East, a few case involving women from Sunderban and Malda has also been found, but largely, the demand is mostly for those from the North East.
A senior police officer, when asked, said that although police has no concrete information about this trend, they would certainly look into the matter. He agreed that apart from the vulnerable areas where displacement has taken place on a large scale, trafficking from other districts like Bongaigaon and Kamrup is also rampant.