Newsreel Asia Insight #21
Oct. 22, 2023

Mariya Rajan, a journalist-producer for Newsreel Asia, received the 2023 Laadli Award on Oct. 21. The award recognises her video story about the shifting dynamics of human trafficking in the Siliguri region of West Bengal state.

In her video, titled “Siliguri: Not Just a Transit Anymore,” Rajan shows how Siliguri has evolved from a mere transit point for sex trafficking into an origin.

“The Laadli Awards serve as motivation for journalists to engage in mainstream media dialogues on issues like sex trafficking,” Mariya said.

The Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity are annual recognitions instituted by Population First. These awards cover multiple forms of media including print, electronic, and web, and are divided into more than 10 categories. They are region-specific and coveted within the media community.

Mariya’s report attributes Siliguri’s critical role in human trafficking to a combination of geographical, social and political factors. Siliguri is a strategic corridor that connects four Indian states—West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Bihar—and is near international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. This geographical importance makes it a convenient transit point for traffickers. Additionally, the area’s porous international borders, combined with heavy tourist traffic to destinations like Darjeeling, offer traffickers ample opportunities for illicit activities.

The economic conditions of the area, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, have added another layer of complexity to the problem, turning the region into not just a transit point but also an origin for human trafficking.

High levels of poverty and lack of education make people especially vulnerable to false promises of employment, enabling traffickers to lure in more victims. This vulnerability is further intensified for women and children, who already face gender-specific issues like child marriage and gender-based violence.

The situation is worsened by political and infrastructural factors. Limited political will to address the issue, compounded by corruption, has resulted in ineffective law enforcement. The area’s well-connected roads and railways also make it easier to move victims covertly. Local stigma and insufficient awareness further hinder efforts to combat trafficking effectively.

While Mariya’s video focused on Siliguri, she stresses that the issue extends beyond the region and needs nationwide attention.

The 2023 U.S. State Department report on human trafficking in India highlighted both progress and areas requiring further work. The report commended the Government of India for its collaborative international efforts and increased investigations into trafficking cases. However, it criticised the significant drop in prosecutions and the failure to amend laws that could comprehensively criminalise all forms of trafficking.

The report called for increased efforts in victim identification and suggested bolstering Anti-Human Trafficking Units through more funding and training. It also recommended amendments to Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code to include labour trafficking and to eliminate the requirement of force, fraud or coercion for child sex trafficking offenses. Despite progress, the report emphasised the need for India to address these issues comprehensively.