Kailash Satyarthi Suggests India Must Have Specific Law To Tackle Child Trafficking

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over India not having a specific law to tackle child trafficking, and urged political parties to ensure that a draft bill framed to combat the menace should be immediately passed in Parliament.

Describing the draft Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021 as a "strong law", Satyarthi said it has not been tabled yet despite being enlisted in several sessions of Parliament. 

"Unfortunately, India has no specific law against human trafficking. This (draft) bill… is one of the best laws and it is very strong. I have gone through it," Satyarthi said.

He was speaking at the South Asia Conclave on 'Working Together to Combat Cyber-Enabled Human Trafficking - Emerging Challenges' organized by the US Consulate General Kolkata.

"It (the draft bill) has been listed in almost every session in its proposed form but never being tabled. We have been working hard and struggling since 2012 on this law, and yet it has not been passed," he said. It is imperative for India to have such a law in place, the child rights activist said. “I urge every single (political) party, every single member of Parliament to see to it that this bill, which is listed for the ongoing monsoon session, is tabled and passed," he added.

Satyarthi said across the world, trafficking and online sexual abuse have “grown exponentially”, as physical and geographical limitations no longer exist due to the easy access provided by the internet. The Covid-19 pandemic has further resulted in increased creation and sharing of online sexual exploitation material, he said.

“It is crucial to have stringent laws around access and use of data, to be able to address this global phenomenon at its source. The latest technology, rigorous surveillance, direct action, and rehabilitation must be used to tackle online sexual abuse," the 68-year-old Nobel laureate said. Satyarthi also questioned the relevance of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, in the present scenario. "This is an old law… it is obsolete,” he said.

Noting that the process of justice invariably takes decades in India, Satyarthi said: “We have to review the situation. I urge everyone to come forward and work together. This is not beyond our reach.”