A farmer who was going through major economic troubles thought it would be a good idea to send his 16 year old daughter to New Delhi when she was offered a job there. He says, “She got on a train and said, 'Father, don’t worry about me, I’ll have enough money when I come back for you to marry me off”.
He never heard from her again. He added that “The police haven't helped us at all. They once went to the trafficker’s house but didn’t arrest him. They don’t treat me nicely when I go talk to them, so now I’m afraid to go”.
Meanwhile, in a slum in Calcutta, a man makes a living selling girls. Although he does not want to give his name, he does not mind talking openly about his business. "I have made a lot of money because there is so much demand for working girls and young prostitutes. Now I own three houses in New Delhi” he says. “I sell between 150 and 200 girls a year, from 10 to 17. “I don’t work in the field; I have people working for me. We tell parents that we're going to get jobs for the girls in New Delhi and then we take them to the placement agencies. What happens to the girls afterwards is none of my business.”
The trafficker claims to make 55,000 rupees (around €650) on each girl. Local politicians and the police seem to smooth things out. “The police know very well what we do. I have to tell them when I'm delivering a girl and pay bribes in every city. I've had trouble with the authorities but I’m not afraid. If I go to jail, I have enough money to pay my bail”, he says.
The director of the Criminal Investigation Unit responsible for combating trafficking in West Bengal, describes police corruption as “negligent” and says his unit is “absolutely determined” to combat trafficking. “We organize training camps and campaigns to raise awareness. We've rescued too many girls and will keep on fighting”, he claims.
“Simply changing the way police work is not enough. After rescuing a girl, what do we do?” wonders a representative of an NGO. “What we need is quick rehabilitation. We need social and legal systems that work.”. He adds that there is a lack of fast courts to prevent traffickers from getting out on bail so easily.
Even if corruption were greatly reduced, there would still be millions of children and parents living in abject poverty, struggling to survive. A lasting solution must necessarily take into account the origin of the social symptom, rather than just focus on the symptom itself.
LET’S SUPPORT THEIR EDUCATION SO WE CAN TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTION
Source: elteologillo
