Guwahati: Cross-border trafficking was a major concern for Assam which was on the rise as the North East region shared borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today.
“This is a serious challenge for us and the Centre was also concerned about it with continuous effort being made to tackle the issue,” Gogoi told the Trafficking in Persons Conclave 3 here.
He said it was an obligation and duty to ensure that everybody lived with dignity and that every child, woman and individual enjoyed human rights which was the basic objective of the Constitution.
There were several reasons for trafficking including poverty, lack of unemployment opportunities, migration, drug trafficking, business and labour, he said.
“Sometimes the victims are forced to be trafficked while there have been incidents of insurgents forcing children to join them and in some cases they are being kidnapped,” the chief minister said.
Stating that in Assam, trafficking in women and children were more common, he said “This is a gross violation of human rights and I am eager to work with all concerned to address the issue.”
US Consul General, Kolkata, Helen Lafave said that the issues of trafficking spoke of the complexity, the need to collaborate and work together across regions, provinces and national boundaries.
The Conclave organised by the US Consulate, Kolkata and Impulse NGO Network also discussed the Status of Adopting and Implementing the UN Trafficking Protocol.
