“Although the wretched destiny separated her with her family but yet she departed to a better world. A world, where no more hands would throttle her to death.”

This line indeed justifies the infamous baby Falak case that startled and revealed the reality of the dirty business of human trafficking that has been rising alarmingly, yet comfortably in India.

Selling of humans or human trafficking as defined by UN, “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation includes prostitution, slavery and trade of human organs, labour or service.”

Before the Baby Falak case got busted, nobody thought about this illicit business that has been swarming and looting the lives of many helpless people around every corner of India.

There are hundreds and thousands of brothels situated in every city where innumerous people, (mostly women and children) reside and are brutally tortured and are used as a COMMODITY. Many rules have been made, enforced by the government to curb this business, but unfortunately little has been abided to.

Article 23 under Part-3 (Fundamental Rights) of the Indian constitution prohibits trafficking of human beings in the territory of India. There are also more than 20 provisions in the Indian Penal Code 1860, which deal with all the aspects of human trafficking.

However these rules seem to have been swept under the carpets of the framework of our constitution just like other illegal activities that have been taking place in India behind the scenes – visible to us but well, not important because the people who undergo these desolations actually know the truth.

The only reason and the factor that facilitates this gruesome business is poverty. Yes, people from marginalized communities, villages who are subjected to extreme conditions of poverty are the ones who become an easy prey to the middle men (also called dalals) who trick these people by promising jobs, sources of livelihood and a better life.

But ultimately, they sell them to the brothels, for drug smuggling, organ transplantation or for other kind of servitude. The most vulnerable section comprises of the women or the girls who gradually become a burden to their parents who ultimately sell them off.

India is a country of billions but out of these billions there is one section of people who are forced to become a product, a commodity that could yield money to the monsters who indulge in such inhumanity.

It has been 60 years since freedom, but sadly those pitiable people harnessed by some ruthless monsters cannot even witness one free moment in their lives. Nonetheless, the government has made many attempts to control this malpractice but the effects of the government agenda is little to be seen.

Now, all we need is a little bit of introspection within us. Imagine yourself being used every day and you’ll realize that we are certainly one of those few lucky people who have survived the orthodox.

Look around and you’ll see many people indulging in some or the other illegal business. If not fight, we can at least make an attempt to combat it. If you see a child labour or any women /girl being agonized directly or indirectly; immediately inform the nearby authorities, for such small deeds count a lot.

Media and NGOs can also play a greater role in combating human trafficking. Instead of just printing full fledge ads in newspapers, genuine initiatives should be taken to create awareness in villages, in rural areas and at the places where illiteracy and poverty are prominent, which hence favors the people engaged in this cheap business to catch hold of many innocent and uneducated people.

Further various women organizations, members of which could have once been victims, to provide assistance to would be victims. This can be done by the revelations of the stories and struggle of the people so that everybody comes to know the kind of pain they endured.

These days various programs are being broadcast, which view the real life stories of people who underwent the misery. Also notable was the release of the movie “Human Trafficking” that successfully highlighted the flourishing of this dirty business of human trading.

Human trafficking is indeed a disgrace to our society. A blot which needs to rubbed off. Moreover, it harms the very sanctity of humanity by degrading their very dignity, by lowering the value of human life.

There is a great need of minimizing this evil because there are still many lives and souls embodied and trapped inside its cage, dying every day but yet hoping to get freed some or the other day.