The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) taking strong exception at the flourishing flesh trade in red light area in Silchar, Assam which was started for British soldiers during the World War-II expressed surprise at its continuous existence and asked the authorities to conduct an investigation and bring to book the persons who run this human trafficking trade.
The NHRC was hearing cases of 3 victims at its Guwahati camp sitting on 28 May 2012. The commission recommended the state government of Assam to provide these three victims with a compensation of Rs 100000.00 (one lakh) each. The victims were rescued by Agnes Kharshiing and her organisation Civil Society Women Organisation of Mehgalaya.
It is to be noted that the victims belong to the Mehgalaya state. Victims are brought here from other states of North-East India and possibly also from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal etc. It is estimated that at present about 1200 victims are kept captive and forced into prostitution.
According to Ms Kharshiing, Assam Police is hand in gloves with the traffickers and not at all serious about their duties of preventing human trafficking. Often they act as partners of the traffickers, she claimed. Social activists in Silchar say that the police is not doing their jobs it is because influential people with political connections are behind this trade of human beings.
The intervention of the NHRC revived some hope in the civil society that now the authorities may take actions.
