Anti-human trafficking effort continues during the pandemic

Soma Chakraborty, Samaresh Nayak, Benjamin Chan

December 10, 2021

During the COVID lockdown and with the fall of economy in India, we see a spike in human trafficking involving women and children. “In 2020, the National Crime Records Bureau registered 43,000 offences under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act – which translates to an average of one case every 12 minutes.” (Read more from How child sex abuse rose during pandemic in India: https://news.yahoo.com/online-child-abuse-rises-india-000911759.html)

From the beginning of 2021, when the situation allows, Mrs. Soma Chakraborty, the Associate Director of the Commission on Anti-Human Trafficking, has traveled across the State of West Bengal and held a series of physical seminars with an inter-denominational coordination to raise the awareness of the issue. The seminars were provided to church leaders, women, youth, local police, and the public media workers.

In March 2021, Mrs. Chakraborty and her team provided training to children protection stakeholders of both the government and NGOs in Kaliaganj municipal town of the State of West Bengal. More than 80 participants were present for this sensitization program. Other speakers present were Bishop Sameer Khimla, and President Gram Panchayat Sabhapati of Durgapur Diocese, officers of District Legal service Authority, and police representatives of the area.

In May and June, Mrs. Chakraborty and her team provided sensitization training to the women wing of the Sadar North Baptist Association of Tripura Baptist Christian Union; and an online awareness training on children protection to the Good and Bad Touch Program of the  with St. Peter’s School of Durgapur Diocese.

Please pray for Mrs. Chakraborty and her team as they are working on the production of a series of short videos to bring awareness on human trafficking. They are also preparing  certificate training programs train NGOs workers, youth and young adults, church and volunteers on the issue and related laws. The Commission on Anti-human Trafficking is one of the five main ministry areas of the India Mission Coordination Committee sponsored by International Ministries. Rev. Samaresh Nayak is the Executive Director. Click to know more of their work: www.imcc.in.