Trafficking of women and prostitution, which are rampant in shelter homes, must be tackled without sweeping the issue under the carpet.

The cases at Muzaffarpur and Deoria are just the tip of the iceberg, well-connected crooks running children and women’s shelters and abusing, torturing and sexually assaulting those under their care. This has happened with a sickening degree of regularity in this country and is not just isolated to the northern States. And every single time a case like this makes headlines, we argue that we must do something to prevent future cases from happening and talk about registering non-governmental organisations and doing regular audits of such institutions and whatnot. Yes, the owners and operators of these ‘shelters’, whether they are people like Brajesh Thakur or officials like Manju Verma should be prosecuted and it is shameful that Nitish Kumar is too scared to fire an incompetent minister for caste considerations. But to make a difference, to really act tough, action needs to be taken against those who used and abused the residents of the shelter. In many cases it is a statutory case because they raped a minor and in India right now that is a penalty that is punishable by death. Whatever your reservations about the death penalty, people who abuse children should be put far away from children and behind bars for a long time. This will undoubtedly open a Pandora’s Box, it is almost certain that those who were ‘customers’ are bureaucrats, politicians, policemen and reputable businessmen. These people knowingly indulged in their perversions, safe in the knowledge that nothing will ever happen to them. Only, and only if these individuals are found, and with call detail records, some of them will almost certainly be found, and then prosecuted can such crime be brought under check. Because removing a source will not take away the problem, it will only create an alternate source, the authorities must attack the clientele. And this will require a level of determination by the authorities from the very top, the work of honest and diligent officers because some of those who will be nabbed will be extremely powerful individuals at least in the local areas.

Action should be taken those who enabled these abuses to take place either by turning a blind eye or actively conniving in it. Action does not mean a cursory two-week paid holiday masquerading as ‘suspension’, it means proper jail time. Of course, even if strong investigation and prosecution is mounted, it will be foiled by our molasses-like judicial process, and one in which safety and security of the abused girls and women cannot be guaranteed. These cases must make us hang our heads in shame and demand that our elected representatives do something, otherwise the only solution would be an Indian Batman.

Writer & Courtesy: The Pioneer

Trafficking of women and prostitution, which are rampant in shelter homes, must be tackled without sweeping the issue under the carpet.

The cases at Muzaffarpur and Deoria are just the tip of the iceberg, well-connected crooks running children and women’s shelters and abusing, torturing and sexually assaulting those under their care. This has happened with a sickening degree of regularity in this country and is not just isolated to the northern States. And every single time a case like this makes headlines, we argue that we must do something to prevent future cases from happening and talk about registering non-governmental organisations and doing regular audits of such institutions and whatnot. Yes, the owners and operators of these ‘shelters’, whether they are people like Brajesh Thakur or officials like Manju Verma should be prosecuted and it is shameful that Nitish Kumar is too scared to fire an incompetent minister for caste considerations. But to make a difference, to really act tough, action needs to be taken against those who used and abused the residents of the shelter. In many cases it is a statutory case because they raped a minor and in India right now that is a penalty that is punishable by death. Whatever your reservations about the death penalty, people who abuse children should be put far away from children and behind bars for a long time. This will undoubtedly open a Pandora’s Box, it is almost certain that those who were ‘customers’ are bureaucrats, politicians, policemen and reputable businessmen. These people knowingly indulged in their perversions, safe in the knowledge that nothing will ever happen to them. Only, and only if these individuals are found, and with call detail records, some of them will almost certainly be found, and then prosecuted can such crime be brought under check. Because removing a source will not take away the problem, it will only create an alternate source, the authorities must attack the clientele. And this will require a level of determination by the authorities from the very top, the work of honest and diligent officers because some of those who will be nabbed will be extremely powerful individuals at least in the local areas.

Action should be taken those who enabled these abuses to take place either by turning a blind eye or actively conniving in it. Action does not mean a cursory two-week paid holiday masquerading as ‘suspension’, it means proper jail time. Of course, even if strong investigation and prosecution is mounted, it will be foiled by our molasses-like judicial process, and one in which safety and security of the abused girls and women cannot be guaranteed. These cases must make us hang our heads in shame and demand that our elected representatives do something, otherwise the only solution would be an Indian Batman.

Writer & Courtesy: The Pioneer