Silent Slaves

Do you know the market value of a newborn baby? 

A fair-complexioned baby girl sells for 1.5 lakhs and a darker complexioned baby girl sells for Rs. 80,000 in our State, whereas a baby boy sells for a minimum of 2 lakhs. The traffickers are committing crimes right under our nose by trafficking thousands of minor girls and boys beyond national borders. You must have come across the recent news of child trafficking unearthed in West Bengal where new-borns were smuggled in biscuit cartons and renowned medical hospitals are heavily involved in this. The babies were smuggled in biscuit containers to adoption centres, homes for the mentally disabled and elderly people, where they were kept until their adoption was organised. The preference of complexion of baby and gender was provided by the childless couples who would be given to the NGO who run this racket of child trafficking.  The newborns were declared dead and were denied the dead body of the baby due to some fake policy. Poor parents of the child accepted the fake news and were handed a death certificate. It is evident that even in these kinds of illicit and obnoxious activities one of which has been recently unearthed in West Bengal, gender disparities are deeply rooted. We believe in the superiority of a nation which stands on the robust and vigorous pillars of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. But in the context of the present discussion, it may be said that the progress of the community is measured by the degree of progress which its women have achieved as evident from the views expressed by Dr B.R Ambedkar.  

 Sahida Bibi, a resident of Deganga, who delivered her baby in Sohon Nursing Home was allegedly been told that she had delivered a stillborn. The police recovered three newborns, two of which were found hidden in a biscuit carton, and the third baby was returned to her mother. According to sources, the racket was being executed with the help of an NGO called Subodh Memorial Trust, whose owner, Satyajit Sinha, would bring in childless couples under the guise of facilitating adoptions.

 Now my question is how come an NGO which swears to protect the poor and oppressed can rise to such breakdown and criminal activities.  Separating a newborn baby from its mother is a heinous crime. Babies who were not accepted by any families were sold off for bonded labour to another agency which runs in International Borders. Gross violation of Human Rights have been committed in our State where families have been torn apart and newborn babies, naive and innocent were sold off like cattle. Human trafficking is the second-fastest crime in the world and it can happen to anyone. We have a right to be safe and protected by our own people. Instead, humans are getting sold off to red light areas, bonded labour and so many other areas. A recent study has shown that this is a $32 Billion Industry.

 Why does this happen?

Many children have been tricked by traffickers who lure vulnerable ones with false promises of good jobs or education. It's not only individuals who committed this crime, but also a very tidy organized group. They always fascinate the victims with high hopes that they will have a much better life and they can start a new life that's brighter than the life they had back home.

 A girl named Tina, a 14-year-old went missing from her home in Darjeeling. Before she went missing, she was found talking to a boy named Rajan constantly over her phone. Her alcoholic father used to beat her up and she fled with the hope of finding a new life in Delhi. Tina was lured by a trafficker with fake promises of work and a new life. Many young girls and women are trafficked to Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab for prostitution and forced marriages. Tina was recovered from Delhi after CBI located her phone location and 21 people are behind bars due to this case. Tina is one of the few success stories. She faced a lot of stigma and disgrace when she returned to her village. She was not welcomed by her family. She faced a lot of humiliation even after her soul was ravaged and her state of mind was devastated. She decided to live in Delhi and study. In another shocking case that happened a few years back, where Pallab was like any other child in his village of Panbari, Assam.  His family was poor and struggling to make ends meet.  One day Pallab's uncle came to visit his family.  The uncle promised a better life with good food and education to his nephew.  The uncle offered to take him to a school in a different part of India.  The mother believed her brother and let Pallab goes with his uncle. The uncle sold Pallab with three other children to a well-known child trafficker for Rs 800.  Pallab died when a fire broke out in the room the children were held captive. The uncle was informed of the deaths and received Rs 500. The mother was never told about her son's death.

 Yet again, another one bites the dust.