Director-General of Police Gautam Sawang on Thursday launched the Anti-Human Trafficking Club (AHTC), Internal Quality Assurance Cell, and Community Social Responsibility at Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU). It marked World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in association with the International Justice Mission (IJM).
Terming the launch of AHTC a significant move in addressing the menace of human trafficking in the State, Mr. Sawang said that human trafficking was an international and transnational crime and called upon all stakeholders to be more strategic to deal with it.
Stress on awareness
“The first step in this direction is to create awareness among all stakeholders, including the vulnerable sections of women and children.”
The DGP also appreciated IJM’s association with ANU and the initiative taken by the faculty of the university to launch the club which was challenging but innovative.
Delivering the key-note address, retired police officer P.M. Nair said there were three dimensions to child pornography — exploitation of children, making huge money and using internet to widely market the film.
He congratulated the AP Police on their initiative, ‘Operation Muskaan’, in which the same child was brought back to them thrice, and said that the police has to take up the repetitive cases and trace the trafficker.
AP Mahila Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma said that the students had the capacity to end human trafficking and congratulated ANU Vice-Chancellor on making efforts to launch AHTC in the university and do a lot of regular activities against this crime.
ANU Vice-Chancellor P. Rajasekhar said that human trafficking was a sin and an unpardonable crime. Women and children are the vulnerable group who fall prey to this crime, he said . He also explained the forms of human trafficking and said it is wise on our part to educate people on this issue and mobilise groups to work against it.
Ajoy Varghese of IJM said the mission was working with the State and Central governments to end the menace of human trafficking.