Breaking the Silence: The Reality of Sex Trafficking | Atul Sharma | TEDxVivekanandaCollege

The speaker reveals a grim reality about human trafficking in India, stating that 300 women and 3000 children have been home-placed, and around 700 women rescued from red-light areas across the country. These are places beyond imagination for those living normal lives, dark rooms and buzzing streets where women and children are trapped, unable to return once they climb those stairs. Their lives are tragically short, often ending by 30-35 years of age. The speaker shares a personal story, not as a social worker, but as someone whose childhood home was near such an area. From the age of four, she was instructed not to look up. At 17, a woman seeking help left a lasting impression with her tearful eyes and unspoken complaints. This encounter, she believes, was a divine message she couldn't escape. For 10 years, family obligations, including concerns about marriage and social standing, prevented her from acting. After these years, and the passing of her in-laws, she finally asked her husband to help her find that woman. He agreed on one condition: she would face abuse, rudeness, and beatings, but she must not cry or give up. Once she climbed those stairs, she encountered thousands of women like the one who had sought her help. She faced immense abuse, doors slammed in her face, and constant pushing. Two years passed with no clear path, just going and returning, sometimes teaching a child, but feeling lost. She kept this a secret from her family. A young girl questioned her efforts, asking how long she would keep coming. The girl explained that the children she taught would still be forced into the same work, calling customers. When asked what to do, the girl pleaded to be rescued from that hell. She revealed that her 14-year-old daughter was in custody, a common tactic where the first child born to these women is taken away, ensuring the mother remains trapped. This revelation, especially about the 14-year-old, became a powerful mission. In 1996, with the help of good people, they managed to rescue the girl. The speaker now focuses on preventing girls from entering this cycle. People now inform her when a girl is new to the area, allowing for earlier intervention. In the last five to six months, with the help of podcasters and influencers, 35-36 girls have been rescued. The speaker emphasizes that people don't willingly enter this life. They are forced. There's no time to eat or sleep, and they are compelled to attend to multiple customers. Babies are made to cry to facilitate their mothers' work. This is not a market of flesh, but a market of compulsions, where only helpless women exist. She describes horrific acts of violence and torture, including girls dying after being assaulted with chili and lime. She urges everyone, especially the youth, to spread awareness. She stresses that parents and teachers are the greatest well-wishers. Young people should confide in them about relationships, as true love will involve meeting parents, unlike infatuation that pushes for elopement, which often leads to being trafficked. The speaker highlights the tragic reality that girls are transported via trucks, a silent truth hidden in plain sight. She recounts a recent rescue of a 15-year-old girl from Delhi, lured away by a boy who claimed they needed her documents for marriage, only to sell her. Even after rescue, societal stigma prevents families from accepting these girls back, leading to honor killings in some areas. She calls on young people to use their social media presence to spread awareness, to spend 10 minutes thinking about these issues, and to consider internships to witness the suffering firsthand. She shares a recent case where six girls, including a 14-year-old, were lured by an older girl (not a boy) and trafficked. Traffickers are often close by, even neighbors. The speaker implores everyone to identify them and prevent anyone from falling into this hell.