Background

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of India are major source areas for trafficking of children for forced labour. Thousands of children are trafficked every year to work in towns or cities in various unorganised sectors of work. This is also corroborated by BBA's work in its regular rescue activities. For the past 2 years, BBA has rescued over 1500 children from Delhi and surrounding areas; most of these rescued children are natives of Bihar.

A strong need for generating awareness and mobilizing the villagers was felt to solve the problem of trafficking of children. Middlemen lure children's parents into sending the children to a bigger city in search of a better way of life, more money to be earned or better education. When the children actually land in the city, the truth is different- they are made to work over 16-17 hours daily in return of minimal or no income and have no freedom to move or change work or leave.

It was in this context that the campaign to end trafficking of children for forced labour was started with the objective of generating awareness in the flood affected and source areas of trafficking in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Mukti Caravan, a mobile campaign of 8 activists would go around the area performing skits, plays and songs to raise awareness among the villagers in this area. They would also collect complaints from the villagers about any children that had been trafficked /sent with middlemen.  Besides they would also conduct raid and rescue operations wherever necessary. In the later stages of the campaign, public vigilance committees would also be formed.

It was to prevent this large scale trafficking that Mukti Caravan was flagged off on 18 December 2008 by the  Mr. Sushil Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr. Awadhesh Narayan Singh,  Labour Minister of Bihar and Mr. Ramdeo Prasad, Chairperson, Bihar State Child Labour Commission and in the presence of several other dignitaries. The Mukti Caravan team started the campaign from the flood affected areas of Bihar.

As part of the awareness drive, Mukti Caravan has covered 7 districts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh covering 156 villages. A regular day for the Mukti Caravan team involves conducting two meetings where they would perform a play and talk with the audience about the problem of trafficking for forced labour. At every meeting, the activists would invite members from the audience to share their views on the issue, if they have seen anybody in their village being taken to towns/cities or know of any person who approaches the villagers to take their children to cities with the promise of giving them a brighter future. Complaints would be collected from the audience and from the Panchayat officials.
The awareness generated by the team has led to the revelation of several cases of trafficking where the police have acted upon and rescued children. Children from Baijnathpur village of Saharsa were rescued in January, similarly stories of children who have gone missing have come to the fore.

Public vigilance committees constituting 14-15 people were formed in 24 villages in various blocks of Supaul district. Among the members are sarpanch, community leader, religious leader, educated but unemployed youth, literate woman, teacher/Principal, labour leader and intellectual citizens.

Aside from this, the Mukti Caravan team conducted rescue operations and liberated 55 children from being trafficked.
At the Saharsa railway station in Bihar on 8th January 2009, 12 children were rescued and 2 traffickers arrested during the rescue operation at Saharsah. The children rescued were in the age group of 10-12 years and were from Madhepura and Saharsah districts of Bihar. 10 yrs old Chotu Rishidev, who was rescued said “Rajdeep Yadav (trafficker) had given Rs. 500 to my father.” He said that I would study and also do some work in Punjab. All the 12 rescued children were supposed to go to Punjab to work as bonded labourers in agriculture fields. An FIR was registered against the traffickers and children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee and repatriated.

In the first week of February, BBA conducted India Action Week in 7 states simultaneously with the objective of mobilizing the district machinery in releasing child labourers. On 19th February 2009, 29 child labourers were rescued by Mukti Caravan activists from teashops/ dhabas and hotels of Saharsa. The joint rescue operation was done with the help Assistant Labour Commissioner, Aditya Rajhans. Cases were registered against the employers under Child Labour Regulation and Prohibition Act 1986. The areas covered under the operation were Bengali Bazar, Mahaveer Chowk, DV Road, Kachehri and Railway Daala of Saharsa city. The rescued children belong to Supaul, Araria and Madhepura distrcis of Bihar.

Saharsa is a railway junction and several trains from the interiors of Bihar to major cities like Delhi have a halt in Saharsa. Hence this is a place which is both a source and transit for trafficking. Both the rescue operations highlight the increased trafficking of children from the flood affected areas.

On 24th February 2009, while Mukti Caravan was performing outside the railway station of Saharsa, the activists saw a group of 10 children going along with 3 men. The activists started talking with these children, on seeing which, the 3 men started arguing with Mukti Caravan activists. At the same time, a 12 year old child told the activists that we were being taken to Jammu & Kashmir to work there. He identified the trafficker as Manish Uraon, who had given Rs. 800 to his father. The activists than talked with railway police and rescued the 10 children from being trafficked. Also present is an article on trafficking in India Today, a leading magazine of the country which shows the work of Mukti Caravan.

During April and May 2009, the Mukti Caravan moved to  Lakhimpur Khiri and Meerut districts of Uttar Pradesh. At the time of Loksabha election, the caravan team urged to people to Elect those , who work for child rights. The team performed in the Child Friendly Villages started by Bachpan Bachao Andolan. During the performance, the village heads and members of youth committee were so motivated that they ensured the BBA activists to make their villages child labour free with their own resources.

Victims now the Liberators

Kalu Kumar, Madhepura (Bihar): Kalu, now 18 years old and a former goat-herd from Bihar, was abducted and bonded into the carpet industry. Kalu was rescued in a dangerous rescue operation by BBA Founder  Kailash Satyarthi. After the rescue Kalu was admitted in Bal Ashram. Kalu has the distinction of being invited by the then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, to launch a book on child labour. He is now a liberator and is now part of Mukti Karwan and rescuing children and making villagers aware about the crime of trafficking.

Prashanto, Hughli (West Bengal): Prashanto was working as a bonded labourer in the jewellery making units of Karol Bagh in New Delhi. He, along with 92 other bonded child labourer, was rescued by BBA activists in a dangerous raid and rescue operation on 19th May 2007. Prashanto was the recipient of the Rehabilitation package under Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976. He then got enrolled in Bal Ashram, where he learnt the basics of education and received training in theatre. Now he is an active member of Mukti Caravan troupe.

Rahul Kumar, Saharsah (Bihar): 11 years old Rahul used to work as domestic help and in brick kilns of Saharsah. BBA activist, Ghuran Mahto, rescued him. Rahul was enrolled in Mukti Ashram, which is the Transit Rehabilitation Center, run by BBA. He was soon assimilated into non formal education in Mukti Ashram. Eventually, Rahul was admitted in Bal Ashram where he received training in theatre as well as in painting. Rahul was also an active participant in the South Asian March against Trafficking (2007) of children for forced labour. He is now proud to be a part of the cultural troupe of Mukti Caravan.

Naveen Kumar, Shahpura (Rajasthan): Naveen worked as a bonded labour in the silver factory of Delhi since he was 11 years old. He worked there for more than 3 years. BBA activist, Sudev, rescued him and Naveen was admitted in Bal Ashram. Naveen received training in sewing as well as in theatre. He participated in the Education March (2001) and South Asian March against Trafficking of children for forced labour (2007). He is now the team leader of Mukti Caravan.

Luv Kumar, Saharsah (Bihar): Luv was trafficked from the Gheena village of Saharsah by the middleman, Ramchandra Sada , when he was 9 years old. He was sold to a local landlord in Amritsar (Punjab) for an amount of Rs. 2000 by Ramchandra Sada. Luv worked as a slave in the agricultural field of the same landlord for 4 years. It was on his parents' complaint that Luv was rescued by BBA activist Rajesh Sharma in a dangerous rescue operation. He was enrolled in Bal Ashram and received training in welding as well as in theatre. Now he is an active member of Mukti Caravan troupe.

Vijay Kumar, Supaul (Bihar): Vijay used to work in the agricultural field of a landlord in the village that he lived. BBA activist Jawahar Rishidev persuaded his family to send him to school. He joined Bal Ashram and got enrolled in class 8th in a government school. He also participated in various programmes organised by Bharat Scout and Guides and was duly honored for his excellence. Vijay was also actively involved in cultural activities. Now he is an active member of Mukti Caravan troupe.

Intervention of BBA
Prevention/ Protection of children through

Awareness generation in the districts and at relief camps:

• More than 30,000 pamphlets and brochures and cassettes had been distributed in all the relief camps to create awareness about the issue on children's trafficking for forced labour and for sexual exploitation.
• Posters and banners had been put up in all the railway stations and bus stations to alert people on trafficking of children.
• Help Desks and Kiosks at all relief camps were put up to provide necessary assistance and help.

Awareness generation through media:

• Electronic and print media – news channels, dailies and magazines were mobilised to sensitise and generate awareness among the people and the civil society as well as to pressurize the govt.
• Advertisements were being aired, audio messages relayed and press releases issued.

Recorded messages relayed at all railway station:

• Recorded audio messages of the appeal were being relayed through an audio system in all the railway stations and bus stands as well as on hired rickshaws in markets, camps and places of public presence.

PICKETING AT MAJOR STATIONS OF TRAFFICKING CHILDREN: - ARARIA, KHAGARIA & KATIHAR:

• It was observed that large numbers of children were trafficked from these railway stations to different big cities of India. BBA intervened in these areas through setting up public vigilance committees in these cities and picketing at major railway stations  and bus stands in Saharsa, Khagria, Araria and Katihar.

People's vigilance committees were formed by the initiative of BBA for picketing and spot checks. This vigilance committees ensured that children were not being trafficked from villages in remote areas as well as relief camps.

Rescue Operations
Rescue operations since 26 August 2008: BBA had collected complaints since 26 August 2008. During 8 -20 September 2008, 34 children were rescued from being trafficked to metro cities and these children were rescued from the Saharsa railway station. As in this time of peril, many children were migrating with families, but rescue was of done of the children who were handed over by parents to traffickers.

Legal action: 5 traffickers had been arrested and cases booked against them for trafficking of children. Legal action initiated against all perpetrators of trafficking. 

Information collection at railway and Bus stations: BBA activists were constantly observing the passengers especially children coming in groups. Posters were displayed in all the railway stations ticket counters to prevent trafficking.
Rapid Assessment research: BBA conducted a research with a team of professional researchers and academicians to know the nature and extent of trafficking.  The research team visited the flood affected areas through boats and collected primary information and formulated an immediate plan of action.

Co-ordination and networking
Training for the grassroots level NGOs and coordination with local NGOs and religious workers on legal action was being done to sensitise the people on trafficking and to take immediate action on trafficking. 

State level consultation
A state level consultation was organized on 29 September 2008 at Patna to assess the situation of the flood affected areas of Bihar, to formulate a plan of action to prevent trafficking of children. 46 NGOs and networks including ATSEC, The Hunger Project, Kosi Lok Manch, A. N. Sinha Institute of Social Sciences, and Bihar State Child Labour Commission took part in this consultation.

Recommendations of the consultation
A demand was made to the Chief Minister that the State Government must take any and all actions for the prevention of trafficking and rehabilitation of children. A memorandum Submitted to the Chief Minister of Bihar demanding immediate actions for the rehabilitation of the school going children in the flood affected areas.

• Establishment of public vigilance committee with the participation of different enforcement departments
• Written letters to different government departments like Railway, labour, human resource development, Police, social welfare etc. to formulate long term and short term policies and programmes to prevent trafficking of children and for the rehabilitation of the rescued children.
• Conducted a basic fact-finding survey to understand the intensity of the problem and formulated a plan of action.

Collaboration with enforcement Agencies
Meeting with enforcement departments: Meeting with Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Mr. Yaswant Malhotra, resulted in the formation of district wise 'Rescue team' along with Police and Railway officials. The ADG also directed the GRP (Railway Police) to be vigilant in all the source railway stations and to take immediate action against the traffickers.

Outcome: Close monitoring patrolling by the police in the major red light areas of Bihar to prevent trafficking of children for sexual exploitation

Meeting with Bihar Child Labour Commissioner: Mr. Ramdeo Prasad, Chairperson, Bihar State Child Labour Commission promised to forward the recommendation of this consultation before the Chief Minister and Labour Minister.

Outcome: Social security department director of Bihar has been made as the nodal officer for the rehabilitation of the flood affected children hence the process became simple and faster

People's Commission: A people's commission on child trafficking of flood victims is being proposed by BBA with some of the most reputed and acknowledged individuals in Bihar. The main activities of the people's commission would be as follows: 

• To visit the flood ravaged areas personally to meet with the victims- conduct interviews with the some of the rescued and recovered victims and their families.
• To examine the situation and provide orientation to authorities and interested groups in identifying trafficking and taking necessary action against them.
• The Commission would mobilise the authorities and form their attitude/behaviour towards taking action against traffickers and check trafficking.
• The commission would receive a ground research cum assessment report to be prepared by a group of professional researchers engaged by BBA.
• The report and findings would be launched by the commission and widely disseminated

Acting on the demand of BBA to prevent the trafficking of children, the Chief Minister of Bihar has announced stipend for every school going child to ensure that children are not vulnerable to trafficking. The total rehabilitation package is Rs. 80 crores (Apprx. 20 million USD)

This package will be distributed to the children according to

• Standard 1-5  Rs  800
• Standard 5-8  Rs 1200
• Standard  8-10 Rs 5000

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS*

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