Shame for Coimbatore
Despite efforts by organisations working for child rights, the interests of children are violated in Coimbatore. Among the hundreds of children who are denied even basic rights such as food, education and shelter, are also those who are trafficked.A case study carried out by the Campaign Against Child Trafficking (CACT) in Coimbatore reveals that a 42-day-old baby girl was sold by her parents for Rs. 2,000, near Tirupur. Soon after the deal was made, the mother approached the organisation to help her reclaim the child. Owing to abject poverty and illness, she and her husband decided to sell the child and fixed the deal through middlemen.According to officials of CACT, middlemen driven by profit motives take advantage of the illiteracy and ignorance of couples and prompt them to sell their children. "No parent wants to sell his or her child. It is the middleman involved that forces them into the deal," says C.Nambi, Convenor of CACT.Couples who express willingness to buy the children too are often brainwashed into the deals by these middlemen who get a commission. "A lot of issueless couples are not aware of legal adoption. They are also made to believe that adoption of children from registered adoption centres is a lengthy legal process," he says. Though trafficking of children in this manner is not very rampant, isolated incidents still take place in the rural pockets of the district.
Among the districts in Tamil Nadu identified by CACT as the most vulnerable to trafficking are Madurai, Theni, Villupuram, Thirunelveli and Nagapattinam. Children are brought into Coimbatore from these districts also for labour. Those brought in as domestic helps and as helpers in restaurants are the most vulnerable to physical torture and sexual abuse, Mr.Nambi adds. They are not fed regularly and are often beaten up for the silliest of reasons.According to N.Chandran of Sharanalayam, a home that takes care of orphaned children near Pollachi, there are parents who wish to give their children away to the home.
