New anti-trafficking laws to come into action

Inter country trafficking and also the condition of trafficking across India has been on the rise. Many situations and cases are present in the books, where the trafficking mafia has been nailed by the armed forces near the border. The draft anti-trafficking bill is an omnibus legislation that addresses investigation of inter-country trafficking, provides for rehabilitation as a victim's right and commits government funds for the purpose. Unveiled by Union minister Maneka Gandhi, the bill introduces economic penalties like seizure of property and new offences like administering drugs or alcohol to victims, injecting of chemical substances or hormones for exploitation and registration of placement agencies The proposed law will put in place rehabilitation measures like new identity for victims and safety protocols. peaking about the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, the women and child development minister said: & quot The bill is victim-oriented and makes clear the distinction between 'trafficker' and 'trafficked'. It plugs loopholes in existing laws and brings within its fold additional crimes pertaining to trafficking which don't find a place in the existing laws.'' But when there are such propositions, it means certain parts or sections of the law has not been clear and there are relevant grey areas in the law regarding the same. The existing law, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, treats soliciting for sex work as a punishable crime. According to the draft bill, the trafficked person would be treated as a victim who is rehabilitated and not jailed. & quot The law says trafficked and trafficker are both criminals and go to jail. Now, we are saying the victim will not go to jail. We will find ways to reform her life,& quot the minister said. She said decriminalization of prostitution was a & quot grey area& quot which needed to be further discussed. & quot There is a grey area and we are going to work on it. Let the draft go through everyone. Let everybody give their suggestions to this draft to see that those grey areas become less grey. For instance, suppose a girl has been in prostitution for 15 years. Is she still a victim or is she just a part of a trade? In which case does ITP Act apply to her or we (the proposed law) do. That also has to be thought about,& quot Maneka said.

OUR TAKE

The problem of human trafficking has been a menace not only to India but to the global community. Trafficking is the third largest organized crime in the world and the bill, made public for consultation, envisages an investigating agency along the lines of CBI to tackle human trafficking from across the borders. The government has taken the right step towards ensuring that others do not fall victim to this menace.