Child traffickers and agents on the hunt
-It is time for cotton harvest in Gujarat and children are taken as labour for the crops of the next season as well.
-40 children have been rescued in a week's time.
Human-trafficking has become quite a nuisance and one wonders when this will stop. More so, the people involved in human-trafficking are so active that they are actually on the hunt. Child-labour has long since been the centre of discussions and every step needs to be taken to eliminate this crime amongst others.
Children in the rural areas return home during festive season after working in the fields, but their stay at home is for quite a short period. Basically these agents and child-traffickers are on a child hunting spree and track down every child in the rural areas who deems fit to work in the fields and some are also sent to work in restaurants at the highways. The children have been seen working even at construction sites.
The cotton harvest in Gujarat needs human labour and children are taken away for this purpose. They are stuffed in various modes of transport and even made to go like cattle just to escape the hawk-eyed vigilance teams. Also labour is needed for potato and peanut crops in January and February and children seem to be the cheapest labour for these smugglers. Even the parents get tempted by the financial offers and spoil the innocent children’s lives.
Police rescued more than 50 children this week. The agents use routes like Saira, Gogunda, Jhadol, Ogna, Falasia, Sirohi, Pindwara, Abu road etc. Another point of concern is that agents do not travel with these children to escape being caught. These agents and smugglers are now being searched by police and all steps are being taken to eliminate this crime.