About the March March Route Core Marchers Media Centre kNOw Child Trafficking

CCRP – Coalition for Child Rights Protection, Prajaak were the main organisers in Malda

Malda, 11 am: Malda is also among the poor districts of West Bengal and a trafficking prone area. Local NGOs estimate that approximately 83,000 children are routed through Malda from Bangladesh, Murshidabad and Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal. Further in Gobindpur block of Malda district, Darshan (a local NGO) in a survey found that 200 children are trafficked each year. In Malda, majority of the boys are trafficked for forced labour (child labour). The particular industries that the children are trafficked into are zari embroidery in Mumbai, and other unorganised sectors in metros cities.

The marchers spent the night at Malda District Sports Association complex.  In the morning marchers of the South Asian March Against Child Trafficking, held a meeting at the Town Hall. Present at the meeting were members of the local administration, civil society, academia, children and adults.

After the meeting, the March covered the entire length of the main market of Malda spanning approximately 10kms. Chanting slogans, distributing flyers, pasting posters, the marchers touched approximately 50,000 children, women and men. This was followed by a large public meeting of another 20,000 children, women and men at Netaji Statue. The enthusiastic gathering of people, sensitised to the ills of trafficking and forced labour pledged to stop trafficking of children and ensure education to all.

From Malda, one team went to Kishangunj (Bihar) and another to Raigunj for simultaneous programs.

Kishangunj, 04.30pm: The South Asian March Against Child Trafficking was welcomed at the Bihar border by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) Bihar unit, UNICEF – Bihar, local NGOs and children and women. The meeting was organised at a madrasa. There were more than 1,550 students from the local madarssas at the meeting. Impressed and made aware on the issue of trafficking and the aims of the March, the Imam of the Madrasa pledged support to the March and against trafficking. It was heartening to see the Muslim students joining hands with the marchers to pledge to end child trafficking, child labour and work for education of all.

It was an extraordinary moment when, after the evening prayer, the students gathered again to participate in the meeting.

Raigunj, 05.00pm: One team of the March covered Raigunj. The Marchers were splendidly welcomed at Raigunj by the local organisers – St. Johns’ Ambulance. The whole town was decorated with banners, posters and large welcome archways along the market-way.

There are 4 blocks in Raigunj with large magnitude of child trafficking and child labour, namely, Islampur, Chopra, Goalpokhar –1, Goalpokhar –2, Child labour is prevalent in tea gardens and in beedi (tobacco) rolling. Girls are sold for marriage to Middle East and boys are mainly trafficked for gold smith work to Mumbai and other gold smith centres in the country.

The meeting took place at the Town Hall (Bidhan Manch), with the presence of the Additional District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police. Children from various NGOs and schools performed cultural activities.

Seema, a girl beneficiary from Sanlaap, took led to make the gathering pledge to end trafficking of children, women and men for all purposes.

The Marchers marched through the entire length of the Raigunj main city, covering a distance of 9kms and reaching to more than 70,000 people.