Guwahati, March 29 2009: The Director General of Assam Police GM Srivastava today stated that neighbouring countries, especially Bangladesh, continue to fuel the growth of human trafficking cases in the Northeast, particularly Assam.

"There have been many instances where we have seen that professional human traffickers from Bangladesh after marrying a girl from a remote area in the State elopes back home and after keeping her in the neighbouring country for some time, finally sells her to brothels in metros of India," said Srivastava, adding that the number of duped girls, who are being duped by this racket of human traffickers, is increasing in the State.

"The rate of such cases is more in areas where prevalence of social evils like dowry system is more prominent," the DGP reiterated.

Attributing the rise of human trafficking cases in the region to poverty and the simplicity of the people here, the Assam Police chief stressed on the need for an attitudinal change amongst the people to wipe out the menace from the society.

The DGP was speaking at the valedictory function of a three-day workshop on 'Training of Trainers on Anti Human Trafficking' organised by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the Bureau of Police Research and Development, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the aegis of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Resource persons representing various non-government organisation (NGO) imparted training to 35 police personnel from Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal during the training course.

"We speak a lot about the theoretical aspects but when it comes to practising those on the ground level, we are found wanting.

We employ minors in our house and at the same time miss no chance to speak against issues like child labour.

This is sheer double standard that we follow," the DGP rued.

"The basic component of human compassion is missing and no law can be effective under such a scenario," he pointed out.

Subhash Goswami, ADGP (CID), while addressing the gathering, urged the men in uniform to lay traps to nab the human traffickers, which at the same time would also enhance the conviction ratio.

"This is how the CBI functions and we too need to adopt that methodology," Goswami asserted.

Earlier, Dr Geeta Sekhon, legal expert, UNODC, said that the organisation would plead before the Ministry of Home Affairs to act upon the needs in infrastructure, finance and manpower fronts.

She also maintained that laws relating to human trafficking are not complex provided one tries to understand it in the right earnest.

IGP (CID) Dilip Borah was also present on the occasion.

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