In its Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the US State Department has accused India of not complying with standards for the elimination of human trafficking. It has placed India in the Tier 2 watchlist, which essentially means that India hasn’t implemented goals agreed on with the US. There are 11 other countries in this category. A slip to Tier 3 makes a country eligible for US sanctions. India has objected to the report, stating that the allegation is unfair considering that India and the US have actively cooperated on curbing human trafficking. New Delhi may have reasons to react sharply, but it can’t ignore the rap on its knuckles. Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been placed above India, as there was no reported increase in trafficking in these countries.
So far, the stumbling block in addressing the multi-faceted issues has been a severe lack of data in India. The US is currently spending $ 9 million in several projects across India to aggressively tackle the situation. Results are clearly called for. But, evidently, India has been slow in pushing State machinery into action to crack down on traffickers and sponsors of bonded labour and commercial sexual exploitation. Its lapses are clear in two areas: one, the introduction in Parliament of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act with amendments that would help protect victims of sex trafficking. Second, the poor conviction rate of traffickers or the lack of punitive or deterrent measures in India’s villages to stop the selling of young girls for prostitution and boys for bonded labour.
India has its task cut out. It can reject any report as being judgmental and subjective — as long as it doesn’t let up on its mission to root out this regressive and debilitating practice.
{{/usCountry}}India has its task cut out. It can reject any report as being judgmental and subjective — as long as it doesn’t let up on its mission to root out this regressive and debilitating practice.
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