MUMBAI // Activists are clamouring for the rapid introduction of a new law to crack down on child trafficking in India, a problem that has plagued the country for decades.
Child trafficking is “a matter of grave concern”, said Kailash Satyarthi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist for children’s rights.
“Despite the efforts of the government and civil society groups, we are failing to protect young girls and boys from trafficking and modern forms of slavery. ”
India’s ministry for women and children unveiled a draft of new anti-trafficking legislation in May last year but it has yet to present the final bill in parliament.
Mr Satyarthi said the government needed to produce a “strong and comprehensive” law as a matter of urgency. “We need a national surveillance system and structure ... [that] takes concrete measures for women and child protection and victim rehabilitation,” he added.
Children, largely from poor backgrounds, are trafficked in India for reasons including labour, sex work, adoption, to be sold off as child brides, and in some cases, sent overseas.
The victims are taken from villages to cities where they work in factories or as domestic help. In many cases they are not paid and so they are essentially slaves. In a number of instances, the children go missing without trace.
The extent of the problem was highlighted a few weeks ago after the arrest of Juhi Chowdhury, a leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, who was allegedly a central figure in a child-trafficking ring in West Bengal.
The racket involved selling Indian babies to Indians and foreigners from countries including the United States and Australia, for about 100,000 to 200,000 rupees (Dh5,600-Dh11,250), according to the police.
West Bengal, which has borders with Bangladesh and Nepal, has become known as a hub for human trafficking.
Government data shows that 9,104 children were trafficked in India last year, up 27 per cent from the previous year.
But Mr Satyarthi said such numbers do not reveal the full picture because a “lack of data has made it difficult to even report the figures correctly”.
“National and regional government agencies are finding it difficult to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases due to discrepancies in the law, which allow perpetrators to get away with their crime.”
Komal Ganotra, the director of policy and advocacy for Child Rights and You, a non-governmental organisation working in India, said child trafficking was largely the product of social and economic inequality. Children in rural areas are particularly vulnerable, because of the poverty and lack of work opportunities there.
She said new legislation was long overdue.
India’s existing law against human trafficking, introduced in the 1990s, had failed because it was reactive rather than preventative, and adequate protection by the authorities rarely extended to rural areas, enabling child trafficking to flourish. The Indian law also focuses more on commercial sexual exploitation and does not sufficiently address the many other activities for which children can be exploited.
Consequently, conviction rates for trafficking offences are low.
The government said last week that it was taking steps to tackle trafficking and was working to finalise the new legislation.
Shrimati Krishna Raj, a junior minister for women and children, said the legislation would include preventative measures such as anti-trafficking committees at national, state, and district levels and more investigations into trafficking offences.
“In addition, it defines some new forms of trafficking as aggravated or otherwise and proposes creation of a dedicated fund for the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.”
The proposed legislation will be finalised and the government’s approval sought before being introduced in parliament, she said, without giving a timeline.
Ms Ganotra said it now seemed unlikely that the bill would be introduced in the current parliamentary session, but hoped this would happen in the next session of parliament in July or August.
“The indication definitely is that [the new legislation] is a much more comprehensive law which covers all dimensions of trafficking and focuses on prevention as well as response, so we are hopeful for a positive move,” she said. “In India, the way we have visualised trafficking as a problem has not been as big as it really is.”
For example, she said, an adult could travel within India with a group of children that he or she is not related to and would not be legally required to provide any documentation of authorisation.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
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Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Business Insights
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The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
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Investors: Core42
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From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
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Company%20Profile
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Total funding: Self funded
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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
The specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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