Annual Report - National Human Rights Commission

Annexure 12
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NGOs, CBOs, religious teachers, mediapersons and all members of the community. We need to
build up a community culture to ensure that trafficking is not just condemned, but not tolerated
at all.
Community Policing
Several initiatives have been taken by many police officers across the country by involving
NGOs to act as bridges between the police and the public. Such initiatives of community policing
are essential for combating trafficking. This not only brings in the involvement of the community,
but also facilitates the functioning of the police. Community cooperation is essential for getting
independent witnesses for rescue operations. Rescued persons can be lodged in the ‘homes’ run
by NGOs. Certain innovative examples of community–police partnership do exist like the crossborder
committees in certain districts on the Indo-Nepal border. The JIT programme, set up by
the UN agencies, is another example. However, such initiatives have to spread to other places
and the existing ones need to be institutionalised. In order to prevent cross-border trafficking,
law enforcement agencies like BSF and SSB could look at developing police–pubic networks,
especially in the vulnerable areas, and utilise them for acting as watchdogs and informants on
traffickers and exploiters and thus, help in the prevention of trafficking.
Combating Sex Tourism
Law enforcement agencies and civil society need to take special efforts in this direction. Urgent
steps have to be taken by the government to arrest the menace of sex tourism. It cannot be
hidden under the carpet any longer. Coordination among the state police agencies and central
law enforcement agencies, including immigration authorities, as well as other related departments
like tourism and urban development, etc. has institutionalized. The provisions of the Goa
Children’s Act, 2003 could be a model for other states to bring in such provisions and ensure
their implementation. There is a need for extra-territorial legislation on the subject. Moreover,
preventive steps should include wide dissemination of the legal provisions and preventive
strategies, by involving tourism departments, corporates, hoteliers, tour operators, and other
stakeholders. Tourism promotion cannot be at the expense of women and children. Protection of
child rights and women’s rights should form the core of tourism promotion initiatives, policies
and programmes.
Addressing Culturally Sanctioned Practices
Since several cultural practices provide the substratum for trafficking and commercial sexual
exploitation of women and children, it is essential to initiate special efforts to address these
issues in places where such practices exist. While the Devadasi (Prohibition of Dedication) Act,
1982 of Karnataka addresses the issue per se; the Goa Children’s Act, 2003 addresses the issue
of trafficking linked to culturally sanctioned practices. Effective implementation of these social
legislations calls for synergy between law enforcement agencies, other governmental institutions
like NCW, and civil society. NGOs have a large role to play in building up public awareness and
breaking the silence of the community. There is a need to promote zero tolerance to this kind of
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