Rs 2,000 notes too being pushed into human trafficking: Kailash Satyarthi

BHOPAL: A day after demonetisation on November 8, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi had said that banning highvalue currency notes would curb child trafficking. But two months later, the child rights activist expressed his disappointment saying, "I'd expected black money-driven human trafficking would be crippled completely following demonetisation.

But no significant effort is being seen on ground." "Demonetisation is a way, and not the end in itself for checking trafficking," said Satyarthi, who has waged a war on child labour and trafficking through his movement 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan'. He lamented there was no comprehensive law in the country to fight human trafficking. "The law should be victim- or survivor-friendly with a proper redressal mechanism," he added.

Incidentally, on December 27, at an election rally in Dehradun, PM Narendra Modi had asserted that demonetisation "had destroyed, in one stroke, terrorism, drug mafia, human trafficking and underworld".

Celebrating his 63rd birthday in his hometown Vidisha, Satyarthi told TOI that the new Rs 2,000 notes are gradually being pushed into human trafficking. He stressed government agencies to make every effort to guard against this. "Black money, corruption and trafficking is a vicious circle and the scourge needs to be dealt with iron hand," said Satyarthi.

Satyarthi has demanded a crackdown on placement agencies that have been providing domestic servants from Assam and West Bengal. "It's time citizens came forward and refused services of unscrupulous placement agencies," he said.