Conclave lays emphasis on combating human trafficking

Chandigarh, March 25

The US Consulate, Kolkata, and NGO Shakti Vahini convened the second city edition of the five-city conclave series to combat human trafficking in Chandigarh.

The US Consulate-General, Kolkata, has been working with civil society partners and state governments for the past 10 years to create constituencies, build coalitions and forge partnerships in the fight against human trafficking in eastern and north-eastern India. As part of the ongoing 10th anniversary initiative, the US Consulate, Kolkata, in partnership with NGO Shakti Vahini, started the second edition of the five-city conclave series in Chandigarh. The aim of the series of consultations is to bring together state-level stakeholders, including government departments, legal services, law enforcement, child protection and prosecution agencies, ensure convergence in response mechanisms and strengthen inter-state collaboration between source and destination agencies.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Michael Rosenthal, director of the North India Office of the US Embassy in New Delhi, said: “Working together to end all forms of human trafficking is a key pillar of the US-India partnership. We are energised by the anti-trafficking ecosystem and new partnerships and networks that will work together on research, inter-state collaboration and advocacy for more effective laws.”

Ravi Kant, president, Shakti Vahini, said: “We are already witnessing an increase in cases since the Covid restrictions were eased. The fears expressed by international agencies and the United Nations are proving to be true. The need of the time is that civil society organisations should strengthen vigilance mechanisms in source and destination areas. We should step up prevention initiatives and ensure inter-state cooperation between agencies so that rescued victims are provided all support with respect to their repatriation and rehabilitation.” —