Five girls from Andhra Pradesh were sold to agents who supply children as housemaids in Kerala. These children were rescued yesterday by officials of an NGO, named Childline, with the help of Kerala Police.
Child trafficking in India is a reality we are oblivious to. The National Crime Records Bureau says that trafficking rate is as high as a child every 8 minutes.
Are these children abducted?
NO!
There has been a significant rise in the number of cases where parents were found guilty of selling their children. These kids are transported to different parts of the country, employed as maids, exploited and abused.
Five girls from Andhra Pradesh were rescued from four households of Kerala's Kannur district yesterday. The rescue operation was carried out by officials from the Kannur branch of Childline India Foundation, an NGO committed to child rights and protection, with the help of police.
These girls, all minors aged between 8 and 16, were sold by their parents to agents, possibly members of an inter-state child trafficking racket, who supply children to households in different parts of India. It is assumed that the parents received anything between Rs 35,000 to Rs 1,00,000 in the deal.
Kannur district Childline coordinator Joble Jose told the Deccan Chronicle, "It is difficult to trace the children in these houses which lay disconnected to the outer world. These children were rescued by the visit of six Childline workers at six houses simultaneously."
Three out of five children were 15-16 years old and had been living for over 5 years in these households. After the rescue, the girls described their ordeal to the officials and said physical abuse was regular. They also said that they were not even given enough food to sustain, but were made to work round the clock. A meagre wage of Rs 3,500 was sent to their homes every month.
According to the NGO, as many as 200 more children employed in different houses as maids in Kannur's Panur, Kadavathur, Aniyaram, Champad, Mundothparambu areas.
Child trafficking in India is a reality we are oblivious to. The National Crime Records Bureau says that trafficking rate is as high as a child every 8 minutes.
Are these children abducted?
NO!
There has been a significant rise in the number of cases where parents were found guilty of selling their children. These kids are transported to different parts of the country, employed as maids, exploited and abused.
Five girls from Andhra Pradesh were rescued from four households of Kerala's Kannur district yesterday. The rescue operation was carried out by officials from the Kannur branch of Childline India Foundation, an NGO committed to child rights and protection, with the help of police.
These girls, all minors aged between 8 and 16, were sold by their parents to agents, possibly members of an inter-state child trafficking racket, who supply children to households in different parts of India. It is assumed that the parents received anything between Rs 35,000 to Rs 1,00,000 in the deal.
Kannur district Childline coordinator Joble Jose told the Deccan Chronicle, "It is difficult to trace the children in these houses which lay disconnected to the outer world. These children were rescued by the visit of six Childline workers at six houses simultaneously."
Three out of five children were 15-16 years old and had been living for over 5 years in these households. After the rescue, the girls described their ordeal to the officials and said physical abuse was regular. They also said that they were not even given enough food to sustain, but were made to work round the clock. A meagre wage of Rs 3,500 was sent to their homes every month.
According to the NGO, as many as 200 more children employed in different houses as maids in Kannur's Panur, Kadavathur, Aniyaram, Champad, Mundothparambu areas.
