New Delhi: In a move aimed at the common goal of making the nation trafficking free, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) – the security arm of Indian Railways, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) to curb trafficking activities in the country.
The deliberations on curbing trafficking activities in the country were initiated on 8th April 2022 between Sanjay Chander, DG/RPF, and Rajni Sibal, CEO of Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF) in the presence of Kailash Satyarthi.
Taking this forward, the signing of the MoU between both RPF and AVA (also known as Bachpan Bachao Andolan) further cemented the bond with agreements on sharing information and building the capacity of RPF personnel and railway employees to work against Human Trafficking.
Further, activities related to increasing awareness will help in the identification and detection of cases of Human Trafficking.
RPF’s ‘Operation AAHT’
A joint action by RPF and AVA under the framework of MoU will enhance the scale, reach, and effectiveness of RPF’s nationwide operation against Human Trafficking “Operation AAHT”.
Under the operation, special teams have been deployed on all long-distance trains/routes with a focus on rescuing victims, particularly women and children, from the clutches of traffickers. It is noteworthy that, the Railways, which operates about 21,000 trains across the country daily, is entrusted with the responsibility of security of railway property, passenger area, and passengers.
Further, RPF has been discharging responsibility as mandated by the Standardized Operating Procedure for the rescue of children issued by the Ministry of Railways and working with other stakeholders to rescue over 50,000 children since 2018 under “Operation Nanhe Farishte”.
RPF’s ‘Operation AAHT’ is also aimed at stringent action against human trafficking through rail and has been rescuing victims of Human Trafficking from the clutches of traffickers.
In course of its action against traffickers, the force has rescued over 1400 minors including 298 minor girls from the clutches of traffickers. RPF has also set up an Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) at over 740 locations across the country.
The Indian Railways is the primary transporter for the nation and therefore is a major route for human traffickers’ transportation. The RPF personnel deployed at railway stations and trains are strategically deployed to intercept the trafficking. With its strategic positioning and its pan India reach, RPF is giving a fillip to India’s efforts to curb Human Trafficking.
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