Meghalaya cops organise conference on anti-human trafficking

Shillong: Meghalaya police on Friday collaborated with the Ministry of Home Affairs to organize a one-day state-level conference on anti-human trafficking at the State Convention Centre in Shillong.

The conference was attended by important dignitaries such as the Director General of Police (DGP) LR Bishnoi, the Chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Iamonlang Syiem, and the Director of Meghalaya State Judicial Academy, KML Nongbri, among others.

According to the DGP, the investigation is quite challenging in cases of human trafficking and the conviction rate is quite inadequate. 

LR Bishnoi stated that over the past six years, only 19 cases related to human trafficking have been registered in Meghalaya, and out of those cases, only three or four have resulted in successful convictions. He emphasized that the task of combating human trafficking is challenging compared to other types of cases.

Bishnoi also explained that human trafficking involves two factors – the push and pull factor. The push factor can be attributed to socio-economic and political issues, such as poverty, unemployment, lack of job opportunities, underdevelopment of certain areas, etc. These factors create an economic crisis that contributes to human trafficking.

He also mentioned that in Meghalaya, broken families or single motherhood are prevalent social factors that contribute to human trafficking.

Bishnoi pointed out that Meghalaya has comparatively high rates of single motherhood and broken families, which makes young boys and girls vulnerable to child trafficking. He also mentioned that the pull factor of human trafficking involves false promises of job opportunities, where people are taken from one part of India to another under the guise of employment.

The DGP also highlighted the issue of rehabilitation, particularly for adults who have been rescued. He explained that there are no specific homes for adults in such situations.

Bishnoi stressed the need for awareness among citizens and individuals to combat human trafficking. He also emphasized the importance of coordination among all stakeholders, and the significant role of the media in spreading awareness about this issue.

LR Bishnoi stated that the number of trafficking cases in Meghalaya has shown a downward trend since 2016. Before that, it was a bad year for Meghalaya and the northeastern states, as it saw the maximum number of trafficking cases being registered, Bishnoi said.

However, Bishnoi expressed concern about increasing trafficking cases in certain pockets of India, specifically Jharkhand, Punjab, and a few districts of Assam. He attributed this trend to the financial problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected everyone.

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