Team Herald
VASCO: An anti-human trafficking NGO has framed a charter of demands and has requested the political parties in Goa to incorporate these demands in their manifestos. Its demands relate to controlling human trafficking for sex trade.
Anyan Rahit Zindagi (ARZ), the NGO that has framed the demands, says that considering that “Goa has become a major destination for human trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation,” the political parties need to incorporate its demands in their manifesto to combat trafficking of persons.
According to ARZ Director Arun Pandey, women and children from Goa and different parts of India are commercially sexually exploited in massage parlors, hotels, disco clubs and flats in Goa.
“Over a period of time Goa has developed a market for sex trade where there is demand and supply of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation. Our study on victims rescued from commercial sexual exploitation in Goa from year 2010 to 2016 reveals that trafficking of girls and women from outside the State as well as within the State is happening in a very organized manner and only 10 to 15 percent of those being exploited in Goa get rescued by the police, due to apathy of law enforcement agencies, corruption, lack of resources etc. Therefore, since this is an election year, we as an NGO decided to frame a charter of demands with the request to the political parties to assimilate these demands in their election manifestos,” Pandey said.
The demands that have been tabled by the NGO are, to appoint full time officer at Anti-Human Trafficking police unit so that they can exclusively work on human Trafficking. Similarly NGO feels that there should be a special court for trial of Traffickers and to appoint special prosecutors to handle cases of Trafficking.
They feel that the there is need to legislate strict laws to prevent cross massage in parlors, and the government should set up sexual harassment committee in all the hotels, massage parlors, casinos, clubs. NGO feels that the government should review Prabhat Scheme for rehabilitation of sex workers and most importantly to steps should be taken to improve living condition and facilities at the government protective home.
Interestingly not a single political party in Goa which has been promising moon to the voters has mentioned about these demands in their manifesto and thus it is now very important for the people to see whether any political parties in Goa will now pick up these issues and assimilate these demands in their manifestos.
