24 cases of human trafficking reported in Nagaland from 2016 to 2021

Our Reporter
Dimapur, July 30 (EMN): As many as 24 cases of human trafficking were reported in Nagaland between 2016 and March 2021, with Dimapur accounting for 23 of them and Kohima one, while no such incidents were reported in other districts.

These were the cases reported with the Nagaland Sakhi One Step Centre (OSC) over the last five years.

Since the inception of Dimapur OSC on June 23 2016, one case of human trafficking was reported between 2018 and 2019 in the commercial hub, 20 between 2018 and 2019, two between 2019 and 2020, and not a single case from 2020 till March 2021.

In Kohima, only one case of human trafficking was reported between 2018 and 2019 since its inception on November 23, 2016.

It was informed that no cases of human trafficking have been reported in other districts since the inception of OSC on March 8, 2019.

On the occasion of World Day Against Human Trafficking in Persons, which falls on July 30, District Administration and the District Level Centre for Women – Mahila Shakti Kendra (BBBP), Phek, have released a 3-minute and 16-second video clip titled “Stop Human Trafficking” to bring awareness among the masses about this social evil.

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‘Although there are cases of human trafficking just next to our door, most of us are oblivious as we are not aware of the nature of human trafficking,’ stated Mahila Shakti Kendra Phek, adding that the idea of the video was to create awareness on human trafficking, as most people, especially in the state, suffer silently.

The content creator of the video, Pfuzoto Tetseo, who also provided the voice over, said in the video that this generation was losing a battle and too many people were suffocating in silence while ‘the sounds of dreams being crumpled, a lifetime of abuse, tarnished with the undeserving title of a prostitute’.

“40 million victims are trapped around the world today in the form of sex slaves, forced labours, debt bondages and children being forced to earn and not to learn. There are more slaves than ever before and as we pass them we stigmatize and judge them for what they do,” it said.

“A 7-year-old minor forced to work for our benefits; they’ll never slow down, and they will never give up for the meagre amount of money gives them a morsel and not an expensive cake. Walking on their bare little feet in the bitter cold, these little delicate and subtle hands, which were meant to study and play, now blistered and injured,” it added.

‘Humans are not for sale and no one has the right to put a price tag on them. Let us not close our eyes to a crime that shames us all, let us be the generation that says enough is enough and it was time to end this trade in human tragedy,’ was the message conveyed through the video.