The Hindu : Centre sanctions 4 projects for helping trafficking victims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Centre sanctions 4 projects for helping trafficking victims

By Our Special Correspondent

Coimbatore May 10. The Centre has sanctioned to Tamil Nadu four special projects for ``holistic intervention'' in helping women and children affected by ``trafficking''.

As Tamil Nadu has taken a ``pioneering role'' in combating this menace, the projects, costing about Rs. 30 lakhs, have been sanctioned, the Director of Social Defence, Md. Nasimuddin, told presspersons here today.

Under this ``Swadhar'' (self-reliance) programme, rehabilitation homes would come up in Salem, Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchi, where the women and children would not only find shelter but also be given training in gainful employment and counselling to recover from their trauma.

Besides, the homes would act as centres for collection of data on victims of this crime, as Tamil Nadu was not only the ``point of origin'' ``but also of transit and destination''.

The major regions prone to trafficking in women and children were Salem, Namakkal, Tirunelveli, Vellore and pockets of Madurai. Ninety-95 per cent of the victims were from rural areas. Many of them were school dropouts.

To a question, Mr. Nasimuddin said only 50 per cent of the victims became commercial sex workers (CSWs), while the rest were forced into ``domestic servitude'', pornography and the entertainment industry like circus.

For the first time two national-level studies were taken up on trafficking in women and children, which covered Tamil Nadu also. ``The reports are expected in six months''. A study by a non-governmental organisation put the CSW strength in Chennai at around 5,200. However, it could be much higher.

On the Government's pro-active role, Mr. Nasimuddin said that apart from coming out with a new set of directives, it had set up advisory committees at the State, district and panchayat levels. ``Tamil Nadu is the only State to have set up a definite administrative structure to combat this menace.''

A State-level meeting, headed by the Chief Secretary, had been held thrice and five district-level sensitisation programmes conducted. More than 1,500 police officers were put through a sensitisation programme. ``They are no more mere enforcers but also facilitators in the rehabilitation of these hapless lot.''

Sixtyfour children and women were rescued in three instances, two in Chennai and one in Coimbatore.

Rehabilitation, the ``most crucial aspect and also quite difficult in the case of slightly old women'', had also been addressed. Apart from formation of a corpus, from which Rs. 5,000 could be given to each one of the victims towards immediate relief and for pursuit of gainful employment, they were advised to form self-help groups. ``They are given assistance, from the Chief Minister's Welfare Fund, even for getting married.''

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