Human trafficking alive in Arunachal, but most don’t call it that: Why?

In 2021, a 15-year-old girl made a daring escape from the house where she had been working as a domestic helper in Roing, Lower Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. Brought from Nepal at a young age, she was promised a better life but instead found herself trapped in forced labour, sexually abused by her house owner. She had reportedly been trafficked from Nepal to Roing. 

The case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and it was later brought to the attention of the Guwahati High Court, which took cognizance of the matter.

Human trafficking remains a largely hidden issue in Arunachal Pradesh, often going unreported due to societal perceptions and a lack of awareness. Many cases are misclassified under child labour laws rather than being recognized as trafficking, says Desai Lingi, Chairperson of Nani Maria Society, a child care institute in Roing.

"Trafficking happens, and cases are reported, but they often do not fall under the Child Labour Act. Many people here do not consider it trafficking, they call it ‘help,’” Lingi explains. “While we suspect trafficking may be happening with Nepal as well, we have only received one reported case so far, in 2021.”

According to Ratan Anya, Chairperson of the OJU Welfare Association, the number of trafficking cases that reach shelters like OJU is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Most cases originate from Assam’s vulnerable areas, Tezpur to Dibrugarh. Victims, including children and women, are trafficked into Arunachal Pradesh under the pretence of working as house helpers," she states. "However, in the past two years, we have also seen a worrying trend: young girls from Arunachal Pradesh itself are being trafficked outside the state."

One of the most alarming cases in recent years was the exposure of a sex racket involving high-profile individuals, where five victims were trafficked from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh and forced into the sex trade. Shortly after, another case surfaced in which two girls from East Kameng were being trafficked to Delhi for prostitution. Fortunately, police intervened in time and rescued them at the railway station.

In what has shaken Arunachal Pradesh, a seemingly ordinary restaurant and bar in Jollang was revealed to be a front for a horrifying case of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. 

The Chaya Dulom sex racket case revealed that girls from Longding were trafficked under false promises of good jobs and later forced into prostitution. The case came to light when a group of minors from Longding, who had been promised jobs and education, filed an FIR detailing the horrors they endured in 2024. Investigators found that Dulom had systematically trafficked multiple groups of girls over time, luring them with false assurances of a better future. 

Human trafficking in Arunachal Pradesh is not confined to movements within India. The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) recently uncovered a case of cross-border trafficking, with victims trafficked through the Myanmar border near Longding.

"Recently, we received reports that girls from Burma were trafficked through the nearby villages in Longding and brought to Itanagar to work as domestic helpers," said Ratan Anya, chairperson of APSCPCR. "Upon receiving the reports, the commission took suo motu action and immediately directed Longding police to investigate and take swift action."

Despite these cases, official records show a low number of reported human trafficking incidents. SP Capital Itanagar Rohit Rajbir Singh acknowledges that while cases of adult trafficking have not been formally registered, there have been multiple reports of child trafficking and sexual abuse.

"In 2024 alone, we registered two cases and arrested multiple individuals involved in trafficking networks," Singh said. "Victims came from Assam, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh. We rescued over 12 children, and more than 40 people have been arrested so far for their involvement in these crimes."

The majority of victims come from financially struggling backgrounds, he added. Many are from Tani Land and the Tirap, Changlang and Longding regions. 

SDPO Kengo Dirchi, in charge of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in Itanagar, also highlighted the lack of awareness about trafficking.

"No cases have been reported under human trafficking during my tenure because people here do not recognise trafficking as a crime," he said.

However, the Women’s Police Station in Itanagar has records of child trafficking cases, primarily involving domestic labour, physical assault, and molestation. Since 2015, only three cases have been registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) and Child Labour Act.

Kenjum Pakam, Chairperson of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women, explained that traffickers often use deceitful tactics to lure victims, especially women. "Traffickers lure women by gaining their trust, sometimes even marrying them or keeping them in relationships before forcing them into prostitution," she said. The psychological manipulation and coercion involved in these tactics often make it difficult for victims to escape or even recognize that they are being trafficked.

Victims, once caught in these situations, often find it hard to break free due to social stigma, family pressure, and the fear of reprisal from traffickers. Many women prefer to keep their cases private rather than pursue legal action, as they fear being ostracized by their communities or facing further abuse. This reluctance to come forward compounds the difficulty authorities face in addressing human trafficking.

Pakam also confirmed that they have worked on numerous cases where tribal women from the state have been trafficked. However, due to certain challenges, these cases were often resolved within the Women’s Commission court.

Speaking to a survivor living at a childcare institute who came forward to share her harrowing experience, was rescued during a routine police patrol. And has been in the CCI for approximately one and a half years after being found in extremely poor health.

"I was told there was work for me, that I could earn money and help my family," she said. But instead of a job, she found herself trapped, moved from place to place, forced to work under harsh conditions, and with no way to contact her family.

"I didn’t know where I was or who to trust. I had no choice but to do what they told me," she added.

According to the authorities, she was discovered during a late-night patrol. Initially, the details were unclear, but further investigation revealed a disturbing history. She claimed to be from the Adivasi community and a village in Assam. Based on the survivor's account, many years ago,  she was lured away by a man from her village. Unaware of the man's intentions, she followed him out of curiosity and was subsequently abandoned at a house in Arunachal Pradesh.

In Arunachal Pradesh, trafficking is often overlooked, particularly in remote areas where communities fail to recognise exploitative practices as forms of trafficking. 

"In many remote areas, communities may not recognize exploitative practices such as employing children as domestic helpers or arranging early marriages as forms of trafficking. This lack of awareness significantly hampers efforts to detect and report such crimes”, said Singh. 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) notes that trafficking often blurs the line between consent and coercion, further complicating efforts to identify and combat the issue. According to the UNODC, "States Parties were further required to punish any person who 'exploits the prostitution of another person, even with the consent of that person.'" The UNODC further explains that consent is often considered a distinguishing feature between migrant smuggling and trafficking. However, there is a growing understanding that this binary distinction may not always be accurate. The Trafficking in Persons Protocol emphasizes that the consent of a child victim of trafficking is irrelevant, regardless of whether coercion or deception is used, and the consent of an adult victim is irrelevant if any coercive means such as force, fraud, or deception are involved.

While the reported number of human trafficking cases in Arunachal Pradesh remains relatively low, the documented incidents in 2024 highlight a concerning trend, especially regarding child trafficking. Many victims originate not only from neighbouring states but also from within Arunachal Pradesh itself. Experts have pointed out that the reluctance to identify these situations as trafficking only adds layers to the problem, keeping it comfortably in the grey zone. 

This article has been published as part of the Impulse Model Press Lab. 

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