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Women and girls are trafficked from Nepal and sold to brothels in India and with the development of a land route between India and Myanmar, trafficking to Myanmar too has increased.
Priyanka Yadav | The New Leam
Land Route from India to Myanmar Produces Conducive Environment for Human Trafficking through Nepal
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 2018, two land borders crossing at Tamu-Moreh and Rihkawdar-Zowkhawtar in Manipur were opened. The opening of the land border was done in order to enhance the bilateral ties between Myanmar and India. As the land border would help in free entry and exit from India and Myanmar, as Myanmar a neighbouring state of India shares its border with four north-eastern states of India.
In retrospect the land border has a huge impact on the growing Indo-ASEAN tie and is likely to improve tourism especially medical tourism in both the state, investment in infrastructure by India in Myanmar is a part of the deal as well. High-hopes and promises were made when the border was inaugurated but attached with the rhetoric of growth and development is the dark reality of illegal human trafficking taking of Nepalese people from the border to Myanmar. In a rescue operation which was operationalized by Maiti Nepal in collaboration with the Manipur Police, Social Welfare Department and creation other NGOs, 183 women and girls were rescued from Nepal.
The rescue operation took place on 1st February 2019, Indian officials rescued a group of 190 people including 183 women and 17 men. After verification it was proved that all of them had Nepali origins and were smuggled to Myanmar from the Moreh Border.
Further investigation in matter suggested that nearly 331 people have been trafficked to Myanmar from the same route. All of them have Nepalese origin.The land route has made it convenient for movement across the border. People from Nepal do not require a visa to enter and stay in the Indian Territory and the Moreh border has opened the gates to enter Myanmar through land as well. This convenience has made trafficking at large scale easier and hence the figures. Most of the women who were rescued as reported were supposedly taken to West-Asian Countries and were further sold at brothel or to private individuals.
Human Trafficking from Nepal is the most common form of crime reported in the state. Although it is not legal but still large numbers of trafficking cases from Nepal are reported every year. Mostly women and girls are trafficked from Nepal and then sold to brothels in India but with the development of land route between India and Myanmar trafficking to Myanmar has been increased.Research suggests that India is one of the Asian Countries where trafficking for sexual exploitation has reached to a higher level. Not only inter-state trafficking is high in India but trafficking across international borders is a rising phenomenon. India is known for trafficking large number of women and girls to countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and gulf countries. Not only is India a very big supplier but is also a host for women and girls from these countries who are smuggled in India for sexual exploitation.
Trafficking from neighbouring countries into India for the purpose of sexual exploitation or sex trade accounts for 10%. Reportedly Bangladesh and Nepal are the largest suppliers of women and girls with an estimate of 2.17 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively.
United Nations identified India as one of Asian countries with severe problem of commercial sexual exploitation. United States placed India in the tier 2 watch list for four consecutive years and further has warned India to place them in the tier 3 category if they do not control their activity.Trafficking from neighbouring countries into India for the purpose of sexual exploitation or sex trade accounts for 10%. Reportedly Bangladesh and Nepal are the largest suppliers of women and girls with an estimate of 2.17 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively.
The number of women and girls trafficked from Nepal to India vary from 100,000 to 200,000 approximately. Poverty and unemployment are the major cause of people wanting to cross the border in Nepal and this is the reason why Nepal is the major source of trafficking. There are 14 points of entry from Nepal to India; movement across the indo-Nepalese border is quite easy and convenient. It is hassle free because it does not requires too much of paper work and hence frequent migration takes place from Nepal to India.
It has been reported that many people who come from Nepal to India travel without adequate documents and hence it makes it very difficult for the government to differentiate between an illegal migrant and a legal migrant. This ease and administrative fallacy gives rise to the increasing number of trafficking cases from Nepal.
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Under the interim constitution of Nepal, as per article 29 of the constitution, trafficking of any nature is banned in the state. Since the democracy in the state lapsed few years back details of the constitutional provision is still to be worked. Vulnerability and poverty in Nepal increases the susceptibility of trafficking in the state.
Illegal Trafficking to West Asian countries from Nepal has been a common phenomenon but with development of the land route between India and Myanmar trafficking has become easier now. Trafficked women are either pushed into sex slavery, sex trade, brothels or are forced into drugs.
The Land route was opened to create convenience and improvise mutual growth in both the country – India and Nepal but under the blanket of emerging bilateral ties between the two countries lies the dark reality of major destruction across the borders.
