M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Feb 7: Human trafficking is a serious issue in Jharkhand. Nearly half a dozen of the state’s 24 districts witness incidents of human trafficking now and then.
Lagatar24.com spoke to Palamu SP Chandan Kumar Sinha on this issue today. Here are the excerpts:
Q: Is there any notified anti-human trafficking police station in Palamu?
A: No. We have one anti-human trafficking unit. This unit works in the Sadar police station in Daltonganj. It came into existence way back in 2013. It covers the entire Palamu district.
Q: How serious is the problem of human trafficking here in Palamu?
A: There are low incidences of human trafficking here in this district. We keep stern eyes on it. Our boys keep close eyes on the bus stand, railway station; interstate bus services just to detect if any child is fished out from here to other states in the name of good wages and a good future. Whenever we find a case of human trafficking, we mete out exemplary toughness with the human trafficker.
Q: What can be the reasons behind as you claimed low incidence of human trafficking here?
A: Our vigil and alertness. Again, parents here are vocal. They speak loudly against it here unlike parents in vulnerable human trafficking districts where parents speak less and suffer more. Simple enticements here do not work with the parents.
Q: Palamu has a considerably less population of tribals who are more vulnerable to human trafficking. The 2011 census puts the tribal population here in Palamu at a little over 9.30 percent of the total population.
A: Yes. We have a far lesser population of tribals here. The human traffickers get a huge number of human prey in districts where the tribal population is acutely and enormously dense. They find their catch easily there.
Q: Palamu’s farm work and agriculture are intensive. Does this also put a check on human trafficking?
A: Rightly said. Palamu has enough farming and agriculture. These activities help check such a serious malaise of society in terms of human trafficking.
Q: Recently Ramgarh police in Palamu went to Madhya Pradesh and rescued a tribal girl who was forced into a marriage there.
A: Our boys did rescue our tribal girl from Madhya Pradesh. She was forced to live in a marriage. Our police treat this case as a kidnapping.
