Good News!
The ATC – Prerana is happy to share with you the news on the
front of the introduction of a new anti human trafficking law by the Min of
Women & Child Development - Government of India.
More
than a month ago the GoI had released its 3rd Draft for public
discussion after having dropped its 1st and 2nd Drafts in
face of strong criticism and informed critique by us and others. We are proud
to state that the ATC Prerana for the first time in the country analysed the drafts
critically and in an informed and substantiated manner and exposed some of their
dangerous effects on the society. Keeping in with its lofty tradition
ATC-Prerana also shared its critique widely with a variety of civil society
organizations, media persons, elected representatives, international anti
trafficking networks, victim collectives, and individuals holding opinion
making capability.
Several
groups from within India and abroad appreciated the critique issued by us and
acknowledged that the ATC-Prerana helped them properly understand the Drafts
and their serious implications. ATC-Prerana disapproved the non participatory
and exclusive style in which the government Committee (which also had some
civil society representatives)
functioned. The law and policy making process in a democracy must be
transparent inclusive and participatory and should exhibit accountability. This
saves the government from embarrassment. ATC-Prerana also openly appreciated
the Ministry’s initiative of reaching out to the public for wider
consultations.
ATC
– Prerana played a key role in mobilizing and putting in motion the process of
analysing the Drafts seriously by different platforms in an inclusive manner
which had been consistently missing in the functioning of the GoI and its
Committee constituted for this purpose.
I am happy to share with you the news that we have met with
significant success in our initial efforts to block some undesirable changes in
the nation’s anti trafficking law.
- ·
The Min of WCD Govt of
India has withdrawn the 3rd Draft of its Anti Trafficking Bill.
- ·
It has dropped the idea of
repealing the ITP Act.
- ·
It has dropped the idea of
shifting Sections 370 & 370-A from the IPC to the new law.
- · It has dropped the
new definition of trafficking that it had evolved in the 2nd and 3rd
Drafts
That is quite a remarkable victory and ATC-Prerana congratulates
and thanks all its partners and supporters in this advocacy effort.
It looks
probable that a few resourceful anti social and opportunistic elements were
trying to mislead the law and policy making processes to certain dangerous ends.
The 2nd and the 3rd Draft clearly
indicated that some groups were desperately trying to surreptitiously introduce
decriminalisation of sex traffickers and sex traders which would have only
resulted in the trafficking of another hundreds of thousands of vulnerable
women and children from India and its South Asian neighbours besides
enormously wasting the tax payers’ hard earned money on creating and
maintaining some absolutely uncalled for agencies and committees. These opportunistic elements are still active. I appeal to all the right thinking people to act
united to stop them, and to participate constructively in the law making
process.
Prerana
– ACT launched a multidimensional advocacy drive by appealing to and involving
every possible platform that it could from the international to the local
levels. We did find ourselves a lonely voice in the beginning but over time the
snowball did gather a mass.
Prerana-
ATC is grateful to all its supporters and partners for responding to its
appeals and calls for meetings. It is thankful to International Justice Mission
for generously hosting the rounds of discussions for this purpose. ATC-Prerana
is particularly thankful to Mr. Yogesh Pawar and the DNA newspaper for their
strategic support.
This
is not a time to relax! We have to continue our efforts. The Govt of India has
released a 4th Draft and we must respond to that. I strongly feel
that the government is open to conviction and has not adopted any repressive or
punitive stance to the frank expression of well meaning and socially useful
opinions. In this matter I feel that it was merely misled by poor intelligence.
We communicated our ideas and found the Govt open to considering them. I feel that
the available opportunity to comment on its proposal must be utilized
constructively by all of us. Click here to download the 4th Draft for your reference. Do get back with your suggestions and do not hesitate to rely upon
your very own authentic and trustworthy source of information and opinion the
Anti Trafficking Centre of Prerana.
Proud
to protect the vulnerable against the exploiters! Committed to protecting human
dignity!!
Dr. Pravin Patkar
Director - Anti Trafficking Centre - PRERANA
9819217040
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On
the front of advocacy one has to ACT and communicate and not merely
discuss and discuss and discuss leisurely.
If we don’t communicate our views, critique and suggestions on time
then it is like buying and wrapping a birthday gift but not delivering it to
the person and on the Day.
Advocacy
is essentially a political process involving issue identification, issue
articulation, issues aggregation and issues communication.
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The Ashramshala now has 100% passing at the 10th Std Board’s exam. Although we handed over the Ashramshala to Pawar Public Charitable Trust (PPCT) in 2012 to make it still better we continue to contribute to the education of the girl students in whatever way we can.