Kumar Prabhat
Dumka
Principal District and Sessions Judge, Dumka, Sudhanshu Kumar Shashi on Tuesday called for collective vigilance and coordinated action to combat human trafficking, stressing that rescuing children from exploitation is only the beginning and that their sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration into society remains the bigger challenge.
Shashi was speaking after inaugurating a one-day specialised training workshop for Para-Legal Volunteers (PLVs), organised by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in collaboration with NGO Pravah at the Nyaya Sadan building here.
Addressing judicial officers, administrative officials and around 80 PLVs, the Principal District Judge said children were not merely the future of the nation but a collective responsibility that required sustained attention and intervention.
He pointed out that poverty, illiteracy and unemployment, particularly in rural areas of Dumka and other parts of Jharkhand, make vulnerable families and children easy targets for traffickers. Fraudulent job offers and false promises of employment and migration are often used to lure minors and young people into exploitation, he said.
According to Shashi, 171 children have been rescued from trafficking this year so far. However, he stressed that rescue operations alone could not address the problem unless they were followed by long-term protection, rehabilitation and reintegration.
He called for greater coordination among the judiciary, police, civil administration, local communities and other stakeholders to ensure that rescued children receive the support and opportunities necessary to rebuild their lives.
Earlier, the workshop began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. Principal Judge of the Family Court Yogeshwar Mani, District Judge-I Prakash Jha, DLSA Secretary Vivek Kumar, SDJM Mohit Chaudhary, Pravah Secretary Dilip Kumar Dubey and resource person Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay attended the programme.
