Demonetisation scheme announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2016 was aimed, among other things, to hit out at black money, parallel economy and criminal activities. As we cross the six-month threshold, Abhishek Narain analyses whether the decision has impacted the human trafficking industry which thrives on black money and is this move enough to have a long-term impact on the inhuman trafficking activities.
ON November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a sudden move, announced his government’s decision to discontinue the legal tender status of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes. This ‘demonetisation’ policy, according to the PM, was aimed at tackling black money, counterfeit currency and disrupting criminal activities among others. The impact of the demonetisation policy as related to curbing the finance of criminal activities is gradually emerging. So, after six months, has demonetisation achieved its objective of curbing human exploitation?
Yes, the human trafficking industry, which is one of the most inhuman activities—kidnapping innocent children, little girls and gullible women to use them as sex workers—came to a grinding halt with demonetisation as all such transactions were carried out only in cash.
Though there has been no detailed study conducted till date to assess the exact numbers involved in human trafficking, Global March Against Child Labor, an ILO partner, estimates that this industry is the third-largest organised crime after drugs and the arms trade across the globe. Global March Against Child Labor, a worldwide network of more than 300 organisations founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, states that close to 80 per cent of the human trafficking is done for sexual exploitation and India is considered as the hub of this crime in Asia. Young girls are also trafficked from neighboring Nepal and Bangladesh to India, which is the transit point for trading them internationally.
According to Chairperson of Global March Against Child Labor, Timothy Ryan, human trafficking can also be regarded as forced labour. Three out of every 1,000 persons worldwide are in forced labour or ‘modern-day slavery’ at any given point in time, he says.
This story is from the July 2017 edition of gfiles.
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This story is from the July 2017 edition of gfiles.
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