PANAJI
In a State where reports claim human trafficking for sex trade is rampant and the Ministry of Women & Child Development’s outdated study tagged Goa as a ‘source destination,’ the rescue of women victims has surprisingly seen a sharp decline in the past four years.
At a crucial meeting of NGOs, academicians, students and activists on ‘Sex Trafficking in Goa’ held in Panaji on Wednesday, experts raised questions about efforts put in by the police force to curb the menace in the tourist State that mushroomed post-Covid-19 pandemic.
“Commercial sexual exploitation is certainly happening on a large scale. It has worsened after Covid-19 because the girls, aged between 18 and 25 years, hailing from small towns and remote areas have become vulnerable. Kingpins and traffickers are recruiting them...” Director of NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ) Arun Pandey said as he gave a detailed presentation of his study on the issue.
Backed by the attendees, Pandey sought the police to utilize their resources to clamp down on this illegal trade. “The police should pay attention to curb this illegality as well,” he said.
As per the data, Goa Police rescued 102 Indian and foreign nationals from the sex trafficking trap in 2018, the number that dipped to 87 in 2019 and 30 in 2020, the Covid-19 year. In 2021, a total of 37 women were rescued while the data for 2022 till November has recorded a meagre 19 rescues.
The experts argued that these figures do not indicate a ‘good sign’ considering that the activity is rampant. “The menace hasn’t stopped. Kingpins are still running the show. Many girls are being trafficked and most particularly from Uttar Pradesh. Most of the young girls, who lost their jobs in Covid-19 are dragged into this trade because they are either in debt or have the responsibility to take care of their entire family,” said another.
NGO ARZ has further raised apprehensions that the trend could send a wrong message across the country that “Goa is a soft State for sex trafficking” and controlling the menace will be unmanageable in the future.
