Bachpan Bachao Andolan, in joint operation with RPF, rescues 25 children, detains 10 traffickers
In a major breakthrough, the Telangana team of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, along with the Railways Protection Force (RPF) rescued 25 children and detained 10 alleged traffickers in a joint operation. The children, who were in the age group of 12 to 17 years, were rescued from East Coast Express, a daily train that runs between Kolkata and Hyderabad Deccan in Telangana. An FIR has been registered in the case.
The operation was a collaborated effort of the BBA team along with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the RPF, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Warangal.
The rescued children, who belonged to different states, have been provided shelter in a children home in Hanamkonda. The BBA team will follow up with the CWC and DCPU Warangal for further rehabilitation of the rescued children.
This operation is part of the drive by the BBA and the RPF to make nation child trafficking free.
In May 2022, the BBA and the RPF had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a common goal to make the nation trafficking free. Both RPF and BBA pledged to work together to share information, build capacity of RPF personnel and railway employees to work against Human Trafficking, increase sensitization and create awareness and also help each other in identification and detection of cases of Human Trafficking.
Considering how often the traffickers use the well networked Indian Railways as the cheapest, fastest, and most reliable carrier to traffic thousands of vulnerable women and children every year, this drive has been fetching great results.
Talking about the dark world of child trafficking and child labour that continues to mar the society and the various issues that crop up while dealing with child traffickers, Manish Sharma, Director, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, said, “In spite of having very strong laws to protect children from all kinds of exploitation and child labour, people continue to employ underage children in commercial activities and exploit them.”
“Many unscrupulous people are also trafficking young children and forcing them into child labour using new modus operandi. Our aim is to be a step ahead of them. These are serious crime and the government should make the law enforcement agencies proactive at all levels to curb increasing crimes against children. The Union government must enact the anti-trafficking Bill at the earliest to curb the problem,” he said.
