Child trafficking rears ugly head in tsunami aftermath

Nagapattinam – Of the 14,000 –odd people who perished when the tidal waves ravaged the south and southeastern coastal regions of India, more than half of them were children. The lucky ones survived or so people thought till rumors of child trafficking and kidnapping in Tamil Nadu started making the rounds. The cause? To get the money the government has set aside for orphans.

A UNICEF representative in Nagappattinam narrated the horrifying story of a man who claimed to be an orphan’s uncle only to be unmasked by the child’s refusal to go with him.

This is happening because, owing to the large number of children who lost parents, the government in New Delhi is granting each orphan Rs. 2 lakhs (around US $ 4500) – half available immediately, the other half when the child reaches 18. This is a lot of money in a country like India where the average monthly salary is below US $ 100.

On condition of anonymity, a Tamil Nadu state official expressed concerns “for the fate of the orphans because it is understandable that their families want to claim them hoping they would get government money”.

For S. Vidyaakar, founder–director of Chennai–based NGO Udhavum Karangal (Helping Hands), “these orphans are precious to their relatives and even others not related, for the money relief offered by the government.”

Bishop Devadass Ambrose Mariadoss of Thanjavur expressed that that he “did not know whether such things actually happened [but] was conscious that trafficking in children was a dangerous possibility.”

All India Catholic Union (AICU) President, John Dayal, said that there have been no confirmed reports of children being stolen and sold. However, the problem may be there, he agreed, as many people will try to get their hands on the aid money that the government has promised, he said.