Could These Disappearances Signal Rampant Human Trafficking?

Newsreel Asia Insight #271
July 4, 2024

Over the past three years, a staggering 31,801 women and girls have been reported missing — that’s an average of 28 women and three girls each day, in Madhya Pradesh. This statistic, disclosed during a state assembly session in response to questions, reflects a possible human trafficking crisis in the state.

Despite these alarming figures, the government’s response appears to be tepid at best, with only 724 official missing cases registered, as reported by NDTV.

In Ujjain alone, 676 women have vanished without a trace over 34 months, with not a single case registered. Similarly, Indore reports the highest number of missing women at 2,384, yet the response remains inadequate with only 15 cases filed despite 479 women missing for over a month.

The apparent lack of urgency in addressing these disappearances raises critical concerns about the underlying issues, particularly human trafficking.

The phenomenon of going missing is not limited to women alone. Madhya Pradesh has the dubious distinction of reporting the highest number of missing children nationally. An average of 30 children disappear daily, with nearly a third of them never returning, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

As girls and women vanish from their homes and communities, these vulnerable individuals are thrust into a chilling underworld of exploitation. Stripped of their autonomy, they are often sold into environments where they face relentless physical and emotional abuse, forced into labour, or pushed into the grim world of commercial sexual exploitation.

The legal framework in India, including the Immoral Trafficking Act and the Bonded Labour Regulation Act, provides stringent penalties for trafficking. However, the enforcement of these laws is weak, and the conviction rates remain dismally low, as evidenced by a recent exposé revealing a child trafficking network spanning Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, as reported by Hindustan Times in November 2023.

In a 2015 paper on human trafficking in Madhya Pradesh, Prof. Chitra Prabhat of Government Tilak College Katni in that state, described the socio-economic challenges faced by Madhya Pradesh, a state with a large tribal population that remains largely disconnected from mainstream development.

The state struggles with inadequate infrastructure, poor education and health services, and a weak industrial base, contributing to widespread poverty. Madhya Pradesh’s population exceeds that of countries like Thailand, France and the United Kingdom, with over one-third living in poverty as of the 2011 census, Prabhat noted.

The tribal majority, living mostly below the poverty line, often migrates to urban areas in search of employment, making them vulnerable to human trafficking, she pointed out. In regions like Betul, Dindori, Mandala and Katni, significant percentages of the population are coerced into forced labour and prostitution, she wrote.

Prashant Dubey of the Awaaz Foundation believes a dedicated government program is needed to combat the trafficking of children. “Poverty, hunger and lack of work are the main reasons for this. The caste and community-based discrimination and unfair treatment in rural areas are also at the root of this problem,” he told Anadolu Agency in July 2022.

Dealing with human trafficking is challenging but not impossible. Madhya Pradesh can emulate several successful model strategies.

One such strategy is the Impulse NGO Network Model (INM), started by Hasina Kharbhih in Meghalaya in northeast India. It involves prevention through community education, especially in vulnerable areas, alongside protection measures including rescue operations and providing safe shelters with necessary psychological, legal and medical support. It enhances policing by training law enforcement on trafficking nuances and improves investigative and prosecutorial actions, ensuring thorough case follow-ups. The model also advocates for stronger legal frameworks and ensures trafficking cases are highlighted responsibly in the media, maintaining public and governmental focus.

The Impulse Model fosters extensive partnerships, involving NGOs, government bodies, international organisations and the private sector, creating a collaborative approach to eradicate trafficking. This synergy enhances resource pooling and expertise sharing, which are critical for the model’s success.