Child trafficking report paints dismal in state of TS, AP, K’taka

Hyderabad: Close on the heels of the National Tiger Census painting a pale picture in the State, here come another report presenting disturbing trends regarding child trafficking in the post-Covid years. As compared to the pre-Covid years from 2016 to 2020, Telangana registered more than twice the number of child trafficking cases in the post-pandemic years from 2021 to 2022.

A report jointly released by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), founded by Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and Games 24x7.

The report found that Karnataka saw an 18-fold surge in such cases during the pre and post-pandemic years; it logged 110 cases from six earlier, while Andhra Pradesh is among the top three States where child trafficking is most prevalent. Telangana registered 56 cases from earlier 19.

The report, titled ‘Child Trafficking in India: Insights from Situational Data Analysis and the Need for Tech-driven Intervention Strategies’, has been released marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30. The Games 24x7 data science team analysed data based on KSCF and its partners’ intervention in child trafficking cases across 262 districts in 21 States between 2016 and 2022.

Among the many startling findings, the report reveals that while 80 per cent of children rescued were adolescents in the age group of 13-18 years, 13 per cent were aged 9-12 years and over two per cent were younger than nine years.

Among factories, those dealing in electronic factories, as well as garments, employed the maximum number of trafficked children, followed by brick kilns, agriculture and footwear units. While the tasks the children were made to do in garments factories included saree colouring and polishing, spinning mill helping, stitching and dyeing, they were made to make bulbs and pack wires in electronics factories. While other factories engaged adolescents for various tasks, brick kiln and roof-tile units even engaged children below the age of five in their units.

On the rising number of child trafficking cases in the country, Rear Admiral Rahul Kumar Shrawat (retd), managing director, KSCF, said, “even as the numbers look grim and worrisome, there is no denying the fact that the way India has dealt with the child trafficking issue in the past decade has given much teeth and momentum to the cause. Prompt and frequent intervention by the Central as well as the State governments and law enforcement agencies, like the Railways Protection Force, Border Security Force, in nabbing the traffickers and spreading awareness about trafficking has curtailed the number of trafficked children as well as led to a visible rise in the number of cases reported.

However, this needs to be supported by a stringent and comprehensive anti-trafficking law. It is our demand that the Anti-Trafficking Bill be passed in this session of Parliament itself. Our children are in danger and we have no time to lose.”

Emphasising that there is also an urgent need to integrate tech-based interventions, TrivikramanThampy, co-founder and co-CEO, of Games 24x7, said, “earlier this year, we made a commitment to expand our alliance with KSCF to leverage Games 24x7’s unique position as a technology leader with capabilities in data science and analytics to create lasting solutions for child uplift. In alignment with this commitment, the comprehensive report presented here aims to empower our authorities and law enforcement agencies with the essential tools to develop targeted initiatives addressing child trafficking. This report not only sets the stage for future collaborations, but also envisions a world where technology serves a higher purpose - the promise of a brighter future for every child, ultimately creating a safer tomorrow.”