Straight talk from DGP Yumnam Joykumar
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 08 2011 -

IN A welcome focus on mental turmoils created by human trafficking, state DGP Y Joykumar spelt out in clear terms how he and his department have taken a stand on this vexing problem which has taxed the limits of human tolerance in Manipur.

Human trafficking, that is the child trafficking variety, has brought Manipur into the national centre stage, obviously for all undesired reasons. NGOs, organisations vaguely related to religious establishments, orphanages and destitute homes apart from dupesters practising as Lone Rangers have whisked away many young people on the promise of education and job opportunities.

Some of these acts had the explicit approval of the concerned parents who in their clouded judgement concluded that the ‘promises’ were manna from heaven.

The DGP addressed the serious issue through a few well defined points brought forward for discussion, understanding and appropriate action.

The points put forward here might not cover the whole spectrum of his speech, but to start with, he made a distinction between young girls from others. These young girls are trafficked mainly for ‘commercial’ purposes.

Second, the DGP touched on a poignant reality. He said lack of education, among parents, has aided in human trafficking. And may we add it has aided ‘recruitment’ of child soldiers.

Third, he said in the prevailing law and order situation it is not easy to demarcate between various forms of human trafficking. Fourth, the DGP spoke on the need to be alert when young children are being lured away by various organisations on the promises of free education and jobs, and said they could well land up with their body organs being sold without their consent.

The DGP went ahead with another positive step. He touched on the needs to be taken to tackle the menace. It may be reminded that he was speaking in a training programme for police officers related directly to the subject of human trafficking.

He told the police officers they must act with sincerity and should not hesitate to sacrifice their lives when the situation demands. He urged police officers to break the structure that feeds on human trafficking.

The DGP also instructed the police department not to allow, under any circumstances, children below 12 years to be sent outside the state and that any pleas to this end be summarily rejected. The DGP also pointedly sought help from the education department to create a system to make people aware of the pitfalls of human trafficking.

Stopping at this point will only have meant eulogising the DGP. But that is not the purpose of this write up. Following his speech those civic bodies who have struggled to put an end to human trafficking in Manipur ought to extend a welcome and helping hand to the police. With their known zeal, they can work with the Manipur Police.

For starters, working together with the police they can set up small monitoring cells spread over a district. These cells can scan for suspicious and human trafficking like acts.

The police will be expected to act swiftly, but before that they will need correct and specific inputs. This will entail the necessity of making sure volunteers are aware of their duties, before they in turn spread awareness among the masses.

What we all are trying to relieve is a complex social suffering, so why don’t forget our lack of mutual trust, and work for once, for the masses. It will be a land mark decision.

Lets give it a try.