Kailash Satyarthi pleads for anti-trafficking bill
New Delhi: Child rights activist and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi says leaders from across the political spectrum should promise that they will pass the anti-trafficking bill in the Rajya Sabha to celebrate Children’s day in the true sense as the little ones are the most affected by trafficking.
“We have rules against trafficking in bits and pieces” he told.
The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, was passed in the Lok Sabha in July and the activist hopes that it will be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well. The Bill, when passed, will allow investigation of all types of trafficking and rescue, protection and rehabilitation of trafficked victims. It classified certain purposes of trafficking as “aggravated”, which will attract higher punishment. These include trafficking for forced labour, bearing children, begging, or for inducing early sexual maturity.
The activist also said that the government speaks about the GDP going up, but not even four per cent of that is spent on children’s education, health and protection — and there is no child-centric development in the country.
“In India, the population below 18-years is 40 per cent, which roughly is 40-42 crore children. But we only spend 3.5 per cent of our GDP on the education, health and protection of this group. We are not able to spend even four per cent of our GDP on our 40 per cent population; how can we morally say that the children are our future and present.”
He said development, for him, means how secure a girl in a remote area or village feels.
“Raise your voice call the police if you see something wrong or a child being mistreated. Click pictures and record evidence of that mistreatment. Tell a teashop owner or restaurant owners that you will not have tea or food at their shop if they mistreat or appoint children to work.”