LS clears Anti-Trafficking bill; Opposition raises concerns about certain provisions
The Lower House of the Indian Parliament, which is at the middle stage of its monsoon session, has passed a very important bill: the anti-trafficking bill.
The bill aims to eliminate the brutal crime of trafficking from the Indian society, where at least one case related to the heinous crime of trafficking is reported almost every day.
There are various kinds of human trafficking, such as trafficking for bonded labour, trafficking for bearing child, trafficking for prostitution and trafficking for chemical or hormone testing.
The bill primarily segregates various forms of trafficking under two categories: aggravated forms of trafficking and non aggravated forms of trafficking.
The bill assures that those who perform aggravated forms of trafficking get a serious punishment of 10 years imprisonment to life imprisonment.
Moreover, there are provisions in the bill to confiscate the properties which has been used or could have been used for the crime.
The opposition, while discussing the bill in the parliament, has raised serious concerns about some provisions of the bill including the provision which empowers the authorities to confiscate properties.
The best part of the bill is that it directs the creation of a National Anti-Trafficking Bureau. The bureau helps to overcome the issue of jurisdiction in the trafficking related investigations.
Will the bill hurts those who voluntary involve in the, legally prohibited, but active, business of prostitution?
Vignesh. S. G
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