The problem of child trafficking is on the rise in Naga society as thousands of child domestic servants working in the homes of many Naga families have become victims of child trafficking.
Ignorance and poverty are found to be the basic causes for child trafficking. Since January 2007, about two hundred cases of human trafficking have been reported in Nagaland itself. While sixty five were reportedly rescued, 125 still remain untraced.
Realizing the seriousness of the issue and to create awareness amongst the people, the Kekhrie Foundation and Prodigals’ Home organized a one-day district level awareness programme on “Prevention of child trafficking” Wednesday here at LCS Building.
Director of Prodigals’ Home, K. Ela said that many homes in Nagaland were still ignorant of the crimes of child trafficking. She stressed on the need to make people aware of the issue and take immediate steps, stating “before the situation gets out of control, we need to be fully equipped to handle the situation.”
Ela said the society needed to personalize the whole situation and come up with an effective mechanism to combat the mounting problem of child trafficking. She also stressed on the dangers of illegal means of adoption practiced in Nagaland.
Stating that human trafficking for forced labor, prostitution or slavery was reported to be on the rise in North Eastern states of India, Ela said major contributions to child trafficking included pervasive poverty, exclusion of poor and vulnerable group from basic social and economic services, large scale migration, weak law enforcement combined with corruption, gender based discrimination, etc.
Chairperson of State Women Commission, Sano Vamuzo said acute poverty was the main cause behind human trafficking, and that one way of checking human trafficking to an extend, was to avail education to empower oneself.
Stressing on the need to counsel the targeted or vulnerable groups, Mrs. Vamuzo said village councils, Church, women organizations, government agencies, women police also have vital roles to play in this regard.
Expressing concern over the mounting transnational crime of human trafficking, Lydia Yeptho, an advocate, said the crime needed to be addressed with legal sanctions in all sections of the society. She also said that many cases of human trafficking and other related cases go unreported.
Representatives from different organizations including Neilavoü from Women Development Department, Imcharenla from Nagaland Police, Yanger from Labour Department, Daisy Mezhür from State Social Welfare Board, also expressed their concern on the issue of child trafficking.
Various speakers were of the view that violation of child rights starts from the household and that the attitude of the people should change. They also exhorted on the importance of sensitizing all people on the problem so that the issue would be translated to the village or the grass root level.
They further suggested that for effective result on the issue, good rapport between the police and NGOs, effective community participation, awareness programmes, were a necessity.
Other participants present at the gathering included representatives from Angami Women Organization (AWO), Angami Baptist Churches Council (ABCC), Naga Mothers Association (NMA), Senior Citizens’ Forum, Youth Net.
Child’s Rights’ committee formed
A committee on protection of child’s rights was formed during the awareness programme on child trafficking. The committee headed by Prodigals’ Home as the host organization, comprises representatives from the Labour Department, Women Department, Social Welfare Department, State Women Commission, State Social Welfare Board, NMA, AWO, Youth Net, Kekhrie Foundation, Senior Citizens’ Forum, the Church, media and medical fraternity.
The committee will enforce some of the action plans summarized during the programme to create awareness on protection of chil
Tuesday, February 17, 2026