From vulnerability to vigilance: How communities and systems are fighting child trafficking in India

It was just another day in the life of Tara (name changed to protect identity), a student of class 8 in a remote village in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh. She went to school in the morning as usual, played with her friends after the school hours, but hardly did she know what was waiting for her back at home. She didn’t see it coming. Upon returning from school, her parents showed her a photograph of a boy her age.

Tara was intelligent enough to understand. But she was not prepared. Desperate, she tried to convince them that she wanted to continue with her studies. But that was of no help. In the next few days, the 14-year-old found her to be married to, not the boy, but a man in his 40s, from the neighbouring Etah district — that too, in exchange for money. She resisted with all her might but was allegedly drugged and taken away. Over the next several weeks, she endured horrific abuse.

Thankfully, she managed to escape and took shelter at a relative’s house. It was there, with the support of her aunt and uncle, that she contacted Childline. Her call triggered swift action by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the district administration and the police. Her age was verified through school records, and an FIR was filed. The broker, her husband, and her parents were arrested and are now in judicial custody.

Sample another very similar story from the same area, where Dulari (name changed to protect identity), another 14-year-old girl, hailing from a Scheduled Caste community, was pulled out of school and sold to a man in his 50s — and taken off to Haryana. She too faced abuse, and somehow managed to take refuge at her maternal aunt’s home. When her trafficker and parents tried to force her return, the girl and her aunt called the police. The accused fled before authorities arrived, but a case has since been lodged under POCSO and other trafficking-related provisions. The investigation is ongoing.

Emerging patterns

In both instances, the presence of a so-called ‘agent’ was a common thread. The girls later recalled that these agents used to frequently visit their homes in the days leading up to the marriage — a pattern that’s more than just coincidence. It points to trafficking networks that prey on poverty, gender bias, and the vulnerability of marginalised families.

Similar reports are being documented across many states, including West Bengal, Assam, Delhi, Bihar, Telangana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In states like Haryana and Rajasthan, where skewed sex ratios create a demand for brides, young girls from poorer states are often trafficked and passed off as child brides — only to face a lifetime of servitude and abuse.

Let’s take a case for example — Pinky (name changed to protect identity), a minor girl was traced in Alwar, Rajasthan, and rescued with the help of the CWC and the local non-profit organisation Shree Jan Jeevan Kalyan Sansthan (SJJKS) supported by CRY — Child Rights and You. This girl had been trafficked from Bihar and taken to Alwar under the pretext of marriage. Investigations revealed that the girl had been manipulated via social media and convinced to travel to Alwar. Thanks to the coordinated response, she was rescued and reunited safely with her family.

But there are other patterns as well. Just a couple of months back, a 12-year-old boy was rescued from child labour in Mewat, Rajasthan, from a local motor repairing shop. A probe revealed that he had been lured by a fake job offer, migrated from his home village, only to discover that there was no job. He then drifted from one odd job to another and finally came to this motor repairing centre.

This incident reflects a larger pattern across parts of Alwar, Bharatpur, and Kota regions near Udaipur, where children aged 15 to 18 are often forced to migrate for work. They are frequently exploited by traffickers who promise them skill training in trades — only to trap them in exploitative jobs with long hours and meagre pay.

Similar patterns are found in other states too, where young adolescent girls are often duped by fake offers to work in shopping malls, parlours or dance troupes, and a promise of financial stability in life proves enough to nail them instantly.  

What story the numbers tell  

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB 2022) reinforces the gravity of the issue. The latest data shared by the Union government in response to an unstarred question (No. 2400) in the Rajya Sabha shows that the number of missing children has gone up in many states in the past three years (2020 to 2022).

States that registered significant increase in missing children included West Bengal (from 6,398 to 12,157), Uttar Pradesh (from 1,516 to 2,285), Rajasthan (from 1,290 to 2,199), Odisha (from 1,079 to 4,564), Madhya Pradesh (from 8,786 to 12,422) and Andhra Pradesh (from 682 to 1,938) within the span of 2020 to 2022. There is a possibility that the real number of cases are greater than the reported cases, given that the cases of missing and trafficked children are deeply underreported, though reporting of such cases has witnessed positive trends in the recent past.  

Turning the tide

But more importantly, quick response from both the government and civil society in addressing such cases offers an encouraging template for smart action. While the Union and state governments, local administration and the CWCs work in coordination to track the status of trafficked children, ensure immediate rescue interventions, initiate legal proceedings without delay and to ensure effective long-term rehabilitation; it is also the duty of civil society to build higher level of awareness toward launching an orchestrated effort against child trafficking.

Civil society can play a crucial role in combating child trafficking by raising awareness, providing direct support to the survivors, and collaborating with governments and other stakeholders. Their role encompasses educating people through organising awareness campaigns, reaching vulnerable populations, promoting best practices, providing immediate support to the survivors and extending long-term support toward their rehabilitation and reintegration with their families.

To walk the talk, CRY has been closely working at the grassroots across 20 states in India for over the past four-and-a-half decades, with the village level child protection committees (VLCPCs) as they play a crucial role in addressing child trafficking by acting as the first line of defence at the community level. These community-based organisations are responsible to prevent, report, monitor, and respond to issues related to child protection, including trafficking.  

A call to action

Child trafficking thrives in silence — something that we can no longer afford. As stories like Tara’s and Dulari’s continue to emerge, they remind us that every child deserves safety, education, and a future of their choice; and more importantly, a conducive environment where they can chase their dreams and grow to their full potential.

Let us commit to being alert, raising our voices, and building protective environments that leave no child behind.

Puja Marwaha is CEO, CRY – Child Rights and You

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth