‘Fake Aadhaar cards pose hurdle in reuniting trafficked victim with kins’

Kolkata: Chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Tulika Das said on Friday that fake Aadhaar cards have been often posing a challenge to the state administration in uniting a rescued victim with his family members.

“On some occasions, we have witnessed that after rescue of a trafficked victim when we are about to reunite her with her family members, documents such as Aadhaar card furnished by the so-called family members are forged with her age proof showing that she is 20 or 21. This shows that the rescued girl’s family members are not willing to take her back. This delays the process of ‘rescue’ in the real sense of the term as the administration and the police has to take necessary measures for ascertaining the girl’s real age,” Das said on the sidelines of a programme organised by the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare (W&CD&SW) Department to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day 2025 (March 8).

Shashi Panja, minister in-charge of the department, said that awareness regarding acceptance of trafficked victims after rescue needs to be developed among the parents. She said her department is emphasising several schemes associated with women empowerment so they can fight against the menace of childhood marriage or abuse at home or at workplace.

Sanghamitra Ghosh, principal secretary of the department said that the state government has formed a women’s employment platform led by the chief secretary for exploring women’s participation in the workforce.

The industry association and the civil society is working with the state government on this. Sambiti Chakraborty, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar Commissionerate said that crime should always be reported. “Endurance is not the answer but protest is,” she added.