"Trafficking happens across State and national borders involving a large organised network,but only local pimps are arrested"

Prakash Kamat
Panaji, September 19- At a two day “Source-Destination Consultation,to Combat Human Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Goa,”held here earlier this week,participants lamented that while rafficking happens across State and national borders involving a large organised network,often local pimps are arrested with no effective impact on this growing menace.
Ms Juliana Lohar, coordinator of ARZ, host non governmental organisation(NGO)of the consultative summed up the challenges faced and solutions proposed to curb human trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.

A large number of stakeholders from main source States of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Delhi and source countries if Nepal and Bangladesh participated in the Consultative held at InternatiknalnCentre Goa near Panaji.
1. Trafficking happens across State and national borders involving a large organised network which is highly dependent on the earnings of the victims. The modus operandi of the traffickers is a problem. The anonymity of traffickers, where much of the trafficking is across States and is through online and social media, makes it difficult to identify and apprehend the main perpetrators. Whereas it is only the local pimps who get arrested!
There is a need to develop a network among the various stakeholders fighting to curb human trafficking and for them to work in a coordinated and collaborative way, sharing data, following agreed protocols, researching the modus operandi and trying to fill data gaps.
2. Once the women are released from the State Protection Homes(SPT), it is difficult to follow up with them to prevent their retrafficking.
The SPH should maintain contacts of the family members. Efforts need to be taken by the SPH as well as the NGOs in the source states so that they can follow up with the victims.
When passing an order,a Sub-Divisional Magistrate(SDM) can request an agency in the source State to oversee the victims' wellbeing in the home State and maintain contact with them.
3. Lack of follow up with the women poses difficulties in getting in touch with them when they are needed to depose as witnesses in court against the traffickers, thereby making prosecution extremely difficult.
Apart from the solutions in the point above, when passing an order the SDM can request an agency in the source State to oversee the victims' wellbeing in the home State and maintain contact with them.
The Investigating Officer should also retain the contacts of the family members prior to the release of the victim from the SPH. Video conferencing could be promoted where possible so that victims do not need to travel across states or countries to depose as witnesses.
4. There is a dearth of services in the home States so whatever psychosocial services are initiated in the SPH cannot be followed through after the women are released.
There needs to be capacity development of NGOs in the main source States on the provision of psychosocial services. More NGOs also need to be identified so that the coverage areas are increased.
5. Lack of simultaneous intervention with the women at the SPH and with their families at home results in the women going back to the same situation/ environment which led to their trafficking in the first place.
Once the victim is rescued and lodged in the SPH, she is provided psychosocial services and possible skill training. It would be extremely beneficial if an NGO in their source States can work with her family providing both psychosocial support and economic alternatives so that she can return to a more supportive environment. This would prevent her retrafficking.
6. Inadequate protection of anonymity of the women in their homes during home visits by the police or NGOs leads to their families and neighborhoods getting to know that they were involved in prostitution. They are ,therefore,either ostracised and/or unable to stay with their families.(eom)

Prakash Kamat
Panaji, September 19

Wendell questions impractical appeal of ASI to register their antiques within two weeks

Prakash Kamat in Panaji

September 16-Style Guru and fashion designer Padmashri Wendell Rodricks, in an open letter addressed to Archeological Survey of India(ASI) on Monday, has slammed ASI's appeal to individuals  to register their antiques within two weeks from September 13,2019.

In the letter, a copy of which is available with this writer, Wendell described the action of giving time limit of two weeks as "daft" and "impractical."
In his open response to the order/request of the body which is dedicated to protectoon, preservation and conservation of national monuments, to register all our antiques in private homes/collections/museums (in Goa) with its office, Wendell has questioned its lack iof clarity in its decision and apart from the short and impracticle time frame it is giving to individuals, he has asked if will this registration assure the owners  facilities like armed guards,CCTV and alarm system.
The ASI letter gives two weeks as of Friday 13th September 2019.
"Two weeks? Our homes Sir/Madam are over two hundred years old and you expect us to register the entire house objects in two weeks?" he asks.
The letter from Rodricks, inter alias, says, "Do you expect us Goans to employ staff to count everything in our homes? Our great grand mother’s earrings, our great great grandfather’s toilet seat, the floor tiles 400 years old, the laterite kitchen sink, the tiles on our roofs? Yes. These are the less precious objects. What you want are antiques that can be sold, traded and valued right?"
"If so why only private homes? What about public places? In all Government offices we see antiques. Chandeliers in the Adil Shah Palace heisted by Smart City don’t feature in this list? Why don’t you ask them all to register their antiques. For centuries (yes you read that right) the Cabo/Raj Bhavan has been "looted by successive Governors of it’s antique furniture, porcelain and silver. Are Government offices above this law?"
"Talking about law, is this a law or is this a request? What if we don’t want to declare our so called daily objects that you classify as antiques?"
"How can private homes like the Menezes Braganza in Chandor or the Figuereido House in Loutolim register their entire homes in two weeks? Are you going to depute them staff to do the count of the objects? It will take months. Are you going to go to every church, temple, place of worship to do a registry of their antiques? Where do we start? Old Goa itself will take almost a year or more to count it’s treasures... from books to candelabras, vestments to minuscule statues."
"Are you going to go into bank vaults to check our jewellery? Old Goan Hindu and Catholic gold that has been with families for generations? What about clothes? Saris gifted through families? The porcelain we eat from daily without looking at their over hundred year vintage? They are antiques according to you. The same goes for the chairs we sit on and the beds we sleep in, the home deities we worship and the walls that boundary our homes. They are all antiques."
The letter also raises a genuine concern about many such Goan individuals staying abroad.
" Goans What about Goans who live overseas or work abroad? You expect them to rush home in a week and list their antiques with you. That is daft and impractical Sir."
Taking the opportunity of the directive, Wendell,who is known to be active on social front in Goa has advised the ASI to "get this hare brained idea out of its head. Go and do your real work to protect our Goan heritage. Go to the fields and hills with treasures. Identify trees over hundred years old and protect them. Get the dovorems (go look up what those are) laterite platforms, the monoliths, the abandoned forts and garbage strewn tirths, the old wells used as dumps, the hero stones and sacred stones unprotected in forests. Get them registered and accounted for. Goa is an open museum for the taking and looting."
He has further said: "As for museums, have a proper Goa Museum or take over the Old Secretariat and place the precious objects for public viewing. Don’t build another ‘sinking’ museum that will be demolished in ten years. In the process more treasures will be lost."
He has spoken of how public in Goa speaks of how coin collection was looted during the transfer from the Menezes Braganza Hall in Panjim to the new ex Goa State Museum. The perceived loot that included rare Impressionist paintings.

Wendell Rodricks

Talking to this writer on Monday, Wendell said that this directive was "absolutely impractical and does not at all take into consideration the practical realities of individuals like him who have been putting in time, energy, resources in these projects of protection, conservation of their age-old heritage".
"They also want us to click three pictures of each item and file along with the list. Do they understand what they are doing. And what is the objective of this exercise. Why are they singling out individuals. Take us into confidence about this exercise. Give proper practical time frame," an agitated Wendell said.(eom)

Create a safe and learning environment for HIV affected children: Human Touch Foundation pleads

Prakash Kamat
Panaji(Goa),September 14-Create a safe and learning environment for children living with and affected by HIV, said Peter Borges, Chief Executive Officer of Goa-based Human Touch Foundation(HTF) while speaking at a panel discussion in Cali, Colombia.
“They are frequent targets of bullying and harassment. Not only does this potentially violate child rights, but it also results in more truancy for these learners. If students are missing classes, they’re not receiving the education they need and deserve. There is a need to implement policies that specifically mention protections for children living with HIV and create a safe environment for all," he said.
Peter was speaking at the panel discussion at a parallel session at the International Forum on Inclusion and Equity in Education on September 13 in Cali (Colombia). The session was on the topic “A learning environment that welcomes every learner” which discussed how to make learning environments welcoming and accessible for every learner, whatever their health status.
The international forum was held to build a common understanding and a renewed commitment towards reinforcing inclusion in education among education policymakers, education practitioners, civil society organisations, NGOs, UN agencies, development partners and the private sector.
He further stressed on the need to keep girls in school and address gendered inequalities that make young girls particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. By empowering girls with knowledge, skills, and resources to protect themselves from HIV, the structural inequalities that heighten the vulnerability of girls and young women can be addressed, he further said.
Human Touch Foundation addresses the issue of exclusion of children living with HIV from educational institutions because of discriminatory attitudes of educators and parents by visiting schools and communities to raise awareness, change attitudes, provide legal advice in cases where children’s rights are denied. Training is also provided to heads of educational institutions in reducing fear about HIV and AIDS and tackling stigma and discrimination.(eom)
------------


(Peter F. Borges
Founder/Chief Executive Officer

t:       +91-9923700342
e:       peter.borges@humantouch.ngo
w:      http://www.humantouch.ngo

Head Office
South Goa Office
H. No. 681,
Dugrem, Agassiam, Ilhas - Goa, 403204
Flat No. 6, 2nd Floor, Bonphil Apartments, Bollepand, Fatorda,  Goa, 403602

Facebook      Twitter       Instagram

Human Touch is a youth led organization in Special Consultative)