New bid to stop flesh trade

Kolkata, Feb 25 (UNI) West Bengal is leading the nation to urge the Centre in formulating a comprehensive policy to check trafficking of women and children to and from the country and initiate talks with Bangladesh, Nepal and other SAARC countries in this regard.

West Bengal Commission for Women (WBCW) Chairperson Jasodhara Bagchi told UNI that the Commission was mobilising public opinion against the crime through seminars and other programmes across the state and soon forward their proposal to the Centre through the state government after collecting ''feedback'' on the issue from other states.

Significantly, Ms Bagchi made her observations here on the eve of first all India conference of sex workers, victim of trafficking among others.

Besides, considering their demands for legalisation and rehabilitation the government should also look into the root causes of their initiation and take measures to eradicate them.

'' It is a matter of grave concern that all types of crime against the fair sex are increasing in the eastern part of the globe exploiting the issues of poverty and illiteracy and there should be concerted effort at platforms like SAARC to find ways to stop such crime,'' Ms Bagchi said.

She said India should take the lead to apprise other SAARC countries about the necessity of adopting a joint measure to stop the global menace, specially in the third world.

Elaborating on the draft of the Commission's proposal, Ms Bagchi maintained that the Centre was being requested to take into confidence all the bordering states before finalising the policy as incidents of women and child trafficking were increasing alarmingly in and from those areas.

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