Telangana’s ‘filmy way’ to tell moviegoers to fight against human trafficking
In an attempt to curb the menace of trafficking in Telangana, an NGO, the United States Consulate General in Hyderabad and the Telugu film industry have joined hands.
Hyderabad, March 13: The figures pertaining to human trafficking in India are startling. According to the government crime data, 8,132 human trafficking cases were registered in 2016 against 6,877 in 2015. This means in a year's time, India witnessed 20 per cent rise in cases related to human trafficking. The figures related to 2017 are yet to be made public by the government. The available data shows that cases of trafficking are mostly reported from West Bengal, followed by Rajasthan.
Activists working in the field to rescue and rehabilitate victims of trafficking said that the government figures are just a tip of the iceberg. "The actual numbers could be much higher," maintain activists.
In an attempt to curb the menace of trafficking in Telangana, Prajwala, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in the field of anti-trafficking, the United States Consulate General in Hyderabad and the Telugu film industry (popularly known as Tollywood) have joined hands.
At an event in Hyderabad on Monday, members of the US consulate, NGO and film industry screened a series of short video clips with a motto to generate awareness on the ills of trafficking. The organisers of the event stated that the video clips on anti-trafficking will be screened in movie theatres and educational institutions to reach out to maximum people and address the issue head-on.
The
United
States
Consul
General
Katherine
Hadda
said
that
trafficking
and
sex
work
are
problems
faced
by
all
societies.
She
asked
everyone
to
fight
against
the
menace.
Noted
film
personalities
from
Tollywood
like
Allu
Aravind
and
Amala
Akkineni,
and
Rachakonda
Commissioner
of
Police
Mahesh
Bhagwat
attended
the
Monday's
anti-trafficking
event
to
lend
their
support
to
the
cause.
In February, the cabinet approved the country's first anti-human trafficking bill. The bill is expected to be voted into law by Parliament soon. As per the new law, traffickers could be jailed for 10 years or, in some cases, for life. If convicted, they could be fined at least Rs 100,000. The legislation also mandates the establishment of special courts to expedite trafficking cases, setting a deadline of one year for trial and repatriation.
Activists say traffickers abduct or lure women and children, mostly from remote villages, with false promises of jobs before selling them off to brothels, factories or gangs which force them into begging.
"The idea of screening the video clips in theatres and educational institutions is to raise awareness against trafficking. Cinema halls are always the best places to attract people's attention on any subject. Similarly, we get to address the problem among youngsters at the educational institutions," said a member of the NGO.
So, next time when you go and watch a film in Telangana, don't just come back home with memories of enjoying your favourite movie, do something to end the menace of trafficking too.
OneIndia News