Abhorrent crime

Abhorrent crime

It was extremely shocking to know that many earthquake survivor and other vulnerable children are trafficked out of Nepal via India and being sold to wealthy British families by child traffickers as reported in “Report on kid-selling racket shocks govt” (THT, 5 April, Page 1). The cases of human trafficking have been common in the South Asian and some other countries elsewhere in the world. However, trafficking of Nepali children as young as 10 years just for about NRs 800,000/- via India to UK should be embarrassing to the government in terms of its security system that is in place at the border points.

It was encouraging to know that the British Home Secretary has already instructed to UK police to investigate into the findings of the tabloid and share it with the British government. She has also urged the paper to share its disturbing findings so that the appropriate action can be initiated against the criminals who are profiting from this heinous crime. Nepal government should also leave no stone unturned to trace the culprits in Nepal mobilizing its concerned authorities and lawfully punish them so that the other traffickers involved in this act will be discouraged. It is obvious in Nepal that unless any serious incident occurs, the government and its concerned authorities remain normally sluggish in its action. Otherwise, how it would be possible that so many children were disappearing from their home town?

It is shame on the NGOs who are working in child rights related activities spending millions of rupees for nothing. This is not to criticise them and challenge their activities but to put forward the ground realities. It is also shame on the local authorities and other youth clubs who need to be vigilant in curtailing such anti social activities. Let us hope that some concerned officials at the border points are not pretending after receiving bribes from the traffickers that they are not aware of such heinous crimes those are taking place right under their noses. Anyway, these kinds of criminal activities should be immediately stopped and all the trafficked children should be brought back to Nepal and handed over to the grieving parents.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj