With 203 cases in 2021, Assam tops the chart among NE states in human trafficking

As many as 203 human trafficking cases were registered in Assam and 349 traffickers were arrested only in the year 2021.

These telling facts were revealed by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ajay Kumar Mishra while replying to a question asked by Arunachal MP Tapir Gao in a Lok Sabha Question Hour session.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles crime statistics reported to it by the States and Union Territories (UTs) and publishes the same in its annual publication "Crime in India".

Details of cases reported and persons arrested under Human Trafficking in the North Eastern States including the State of Assam during the year 2021, states- Arunachal reported 3 cases and five persons have been arrested.

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While among all the northeastern states, Assam ranks the highest in human trafficking cases with as many as 203 such cases reported and 349 persons arrested.

Meanwhile, states like Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim reported no such instance of human trafficking in the year 2021.

On the other hand, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura reported one case each for the year 2021.

Earlier on March 21, Assam Women and Child Development Minister Ajanta Neog said that altogether 481 children were trafficked from various parts of the state in five years since 2017.

Replying to a query by BJP MLA Diganta Kalita during the question hour, Neog said the government is taking various steps to prevent the case of child trafficking in the state.

She informed the House that 481 children were subjected to trafficking from 2017 to 2022 and the highest 77 kids were trafficked from Guwahati city. 

Out of the total, 574 were girls and 185 boys, while 25 were in the age bracket of 0-5 years, 59 in 6-10 years, 353 in 11-15 years and 322 in 16-18 years of age.
 
She also said that a total of 759 children went missing since 2017 and 666 of them have been rescued.

Assam to introduce law to check human trafficking

The Assam government is planning to introduce a law to check human trafficking in the state.

This was informed by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the state assembly in 2022.

“Human trafficking not only means when a person is taken out of the state by luring them for jobs. When children below 14 years of age are taken away from their parents to work as domestic help, it also amounts to human trafficking,” Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

It is to be mentioned here that MHA has provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 98.86 crores under the “Nirbhaya Fund” to all States and Union Territories (UTs), including the North-Eastern States and Assam, during the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21 for strengthening the existing Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and for establishing new AHTUs covering all districts of the States/UTs. 

The National Investigation Agency Act, of 2008 was amended in the year 2019 to authorise the National Investigation Agency to investigate cases of human trafficking under Sections 370 and 370A of the Indian Penal Code. 

For addressing cross-border/transnational issues of human trafficking, bilateral Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with Bangladesh, UAE, Cambodia and Myanmar; and multilateral instruments on human trafficking have also been signed by India.

MHA has provided Grant-in-aid to Border Security Force (BSF) for establishing Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in the international border areas. 

BSF has also established 15 AHTUs on the Indo-Bangladesh border.