– By Vasudha Raina
Terrorism exposes a region to outside threats in more ways than one. It renders the people residing in that place as vulnerable to external threats. And who is more vulnerable in this world than women and children, such as the case of human trafficking in Kashmir.
Years of internal war, displacement and exclusion due to the actions of non-state actors has left the people of Kashmir in a very precarious position. While researching the crime statistics in Kashmir, I came upon the reality that most cases of crime, especially human trafficking, aren’t even reported in the region. According to data collated by the National Crime Records Bureau, in terms of reported cases in the past 5 years the human trafficking cases that are reported in Kashmir can be counted on one hand. Less than 5. This stands in direct opposition to reports by Save the Children, an NGO in Kashmir, which presents us with a juxtaposition. How can we assume that the lives of the poor children and women are safe in such a land of internal strife ?
The territorial dispute between India and Pakistan dominates coverage and lives in the region, overshadowing other issues such as human trafficking. Human traffickers prey on people who are poor, isolated and weak. Issues such as disempowerment, social exclusion and economic vulnerability are the result of policies and practices that marginalise entire groups of people and make them particularly vulnerable to being trafficked. Social protection measures and facilities take a backseat in an area of political turmoil and constant conflicts. Such is the case of Kashmir today.
Terrorism has shifted the focus of the law authorities. According to registered police reports we can see a direct link in the rise of crimes against women and increasing internal turmoil in Kashmir from 2019-2020. It has shooted up by 11% and the exploitation of the vulnerability of the women and children is evident.
The exclusion of Kashmir, enforced by the terrorist actors, the radicalised portions of the public and even the state of India to some extent, pushes Kashmir 10-20 years back. And this makes it the hotbed for human trafficking. Poor women and children are lured by ‘placement agencies’ from places like Assam, who promise them jobs in food processing factories. However, after arriving, they are then sent to work as domestic workers. The market for child labour is already huge in India and Kashmir makes the perfect market for traffickers. Another form of trafficking seen in Kashmir is ‘bride trafficking’ -poor families willingly give away their daughters in exchange for some money and the light-skinned, rose-cheeked young and naive girls of Kashmir fetch a good price. So like cattle, they are herded into buses who ship them off from the valley to the mainland where they are in for a lifetime of some or the other form of torture or abuse in a new land away from home.
Change is coming, but far too slowly. Vulnerability, in the families and the region itself is the weak link that prevents formulated policies and laws to be properly implemented. Preventing crime and reducing vulnerability are the best ways to combat human trafficking. It is senseless to expect change when people don’t even know what makes them easy targets and awareness is useless if an alternate plan of action can’t be presented. One non-governmental body that is doing great and effective work in Kashmir right now is Childline Jammu & Kashmir’s initiative Childline Children Club, or Shur’e Panchayat. Here we see a unique functioning where children are the ones protecting other children from being trafficked. Street plays to increase awareness are organised and acted out by local children, some of whom are as young as 10, who are members of this club. The members keep an eye out for traffickers and trafficked children and inform the NGO about all that they see. Not just this, they also monetarily contribute to the club. Young children pitch in about Rs. 1-2 from their pocket money to the club fund. And they have been very successful in curbing and preventing human trafficking in many areas of Kashmir.
But isn’t it sad how children have to take up the responsibility of adults ? It is a shame to us, as adults with power, who can’t bring any real change for the women and children who then fall prey to exploitation. Strict implementation of law is needed. Most resources have been diverted to maintaining public peace and while that is the priority right now, it must also be noted that peace means nothing if women and children are regularly trafficked in and out of Kashmir like fruits and vegetables being sold at the market.
References :
UNODC. “An Introduction to Human Trafficking: Vulnerability, Impact and Action.” United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, -, https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/An_Introduction_to_Human_Trafficking_-_Background_Paper.pdf. Accessed 13 March 2022.
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