Stolen Childhoods: A Study of Child Trafficking in the Kosi Region of Bihar Stolen Childhoods A Study of Child Trafficking in the Kosi Region of Bihar Dr. Manoshi Mitra Das Dr. Sunil Kumar Mishra May 2011 Save the Children works for children’s rights. We deliver immediate and lasting improvements to children’s lives worldwide. ©2011 Save the Children This publication is protected by copyright. It may be reproduced by any method without fee or prior permission for teaching purposes, but not for resale. For use in any other circumstances, prior written permission must be obtained from the publisher. Project Manager: Dr. Alex George, National Manager – Research, Save the Children Academic Leadership: Prof. Alakh N. Sharma, Director, Institute of Human Development Overall Guidance: Dr. Renu Singh, Senior Advisor, Save the Children Written by: Dr. Manoshi Mitra Das, Visiting Senior Fellow and Dr. Sunil Mishra, Associate Fellow, Institute of Human Development Revised by: Dr. Alex George, National Manager - Research, Save the Children Sampling Design: Prof. PM Kulkarni, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Prof. Rajesh Shukla, National Council for Applied Economic Research Comments by: Bimal Rawal, Regional Representative, Child Protection Initiative, Kathmandu; Mohammed Aftab, National Manager - Child Protection; Radha Kamath, Manager - Child Protection; Katie Hau, Programme Officer - Child Protection Field Supervision & Research support: Subodh Kumar, B.K.N. Singh, Ashwini Kumar. Publication support: Sarita Falcao, Communications Officer, Save the Children Layout, Design and Printing: Mensa Design Pvt. Ltd This publication is funded by: Child Protection Initiative (CPI) of international Save the Children Alliance Published by: Save the Children 3rd floor, Vardhaman Trade Centre 9-10-11, Nehru Place New Delhi – 110019 India www.savethechildren.in Foreword This study is an enquiry into child trafficking in the Kosi region of Bihar against the background of poverty and deprivation. The region received media attention on account of the 2008 floods, which also highlighted the trafficking of children amidst massive loss of life and livelihoods. Historically, Kosi region is characterised by landlordism and caste discrimination. The upper and middle castes constitute the upper tiers of the landed class, with the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the other lower castes with little or no land at their disposal. Further, there are regular floods in the Kosi River while little investment is made in flood protection. Hence, the livelihoods of the poor are extremely tenuous. In the face of chronic poverty and lack of economic options, the poor adopted adult migrant labour as a survival strategy and child trafficking got socially accepted in the region against this overall background of widespread migration. We undertook a survey in 4,111 systematically selected households comprising 8252 children of the 5-<18 year age group from two flood affected districts—Araria and Khagaria—in order to uncover the phenomenon of child trafficking. We found that 7.7 per cent of the children in the 5 to <18 years old in our sample had been trafficked. They were either transported to their employers and left under their control by the children’s family members, or they were delivered into the hands of third parties in the village itself. Developing the agrarian rural economy of the two districts, paying attention also to issues such as landlessness and lack of adequate means of livelihood for the poor are basic to preventing child trafficking in the region. Flood protection measures and awareness about disaster risk reduction are essential as floods lead to increase in trafficking in the region. The study also recommends various measures towards legal reform, sensitizing the key duty bearers, establishing a referral system from the community to the duty bearers and the involvement of civil society. The financial support for this study was provided by the Child Protection International (CPI), of international Save the Children Alliance, which we gratefully acknowledge. Save the Children (SC) acknowledges the overall guidance of Dr. Renu Singh, former Director, Research, Learning and Impact in the conduct of this research. SC thanks Dr. Alex George, National Manager-Research for managing the study and providing technical inputs. Ms. Shireen Vakhil Miller, Director, Advocacy, Campaigns and Media has led the publication of this report, which we thankfully acknowledge. Mr. Bimal Rawat of CPI, Kathmandu, Mr. Mohammad Aftab, National Manager, Child Protection, Ms. Radha Kamat, Manager, Child Protection and Ms. Kate Howe, Programme Officer Child Protection have offered comments on this report. Prof. Alagh Sharma, Director, IHD with his vast experience of conducting studies in Bihar has provided guidance and leadership in conducting this study, which Save the Children thankfully appreciates. We thank in particular the two researchers who conducted this study viz. Dr. Manoshi Mitra Das and Dr. Sunil Mishra, faculty at IHD. Expecting that the study which provides an estimate for child trafficking in the Kosi region Bihar, would urge policy makers to address extreme poverty in the region and take adequate measures to prevent children from trafficked. Thomas Chandy Chief Executive Officer iii Contents Foreword iii Executive Summary ix Chapter One 1 Introduction and Methodology Chapter Two 13 What the Literature Tells Us: Gaps in the Research on Trafficking in India Chapter Three 27 Socio-Economic Background of Child Trafficking in Study Districts and Villages Chapter Four 40 Childhood Conditions in the Kosi Region and Child Trafficking Chapter Five 54 Dynamics of Child Trafficking in the Kosi Region Chapter Six 77 Voices of Trafficked Children and Their Parents Chapter Seven 87 Conclusions and Recommendations Annexure I 93 Listing Schedule Annexure II 95 Household Schedule Annexure III 101 Sample Derivation v List of Tables 1.1: List of Villages in which the Listing Survey was Conducted 10 3.1: Income, Population, and Basic Development Indicators (Bihar and all-India) 27 3.2: Poverty and Human Development Indicators 29 3.3: Demographic Profile of the Districts 30 3.4: Demographic Profile of the Areas under Study in Araria 32 3.5: Block-wise Household (HH) Size, Literacy, and Sex Ratio (Rural Population) Literacy Rate 32 3.6: Working Population 33 3.7: Working Population by Sector 33 3.8: Percentage Distribution of Different Types of Workers in the Study Blocks 34 3.9: Demographic Structure of the Areas under Study 35 3.10: Working Population by Sector 35 3.11: Names of the Villages Surveyed 36 3.12: Demographic Profile of the Surveyed Villages 37 3.13: Working Population by Sector 38 4.1: Description of Children, 2001 42 4.2: Social Composition of Listed Children 45 4.3: Poverty and Landholding Status of Listed Children 45 4.4a: Number of Children Who Have Left Their Villages (by purpose) 46 4.4b: Trafficked Children among Listed Children 47 4.5: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Religious Category 47 4.6: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Social Category 48 4.7: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Land Size Category 49 4.8: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Ration Card Category 49 4.9: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Highest Educational Level of Household Members 50 4.10: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked Children by Household Occupational Category 50 4.11: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Age Group 51 4.12: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Education of Parents/Guardians 51 4.13: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked and Total Children by Education of Children 51 5.1: Reasons for Trafficking 57 5.2: Household Headship among those with Trafficked Children 58 5.3: Social Composition of Households with Trafficked Children 58 5.4: Economic Conditions of Households with Trafficked Children 59 5.5: Highest Educational Levels of Household Heads/Members 59 vi 5.6: Education Level of Studied Population (>5 years) 60 5.7: Percentage Distribution of Working Population by Type of Work 61 5.8: Number and Percentage of Workers by Sex of Household Head 61 5.9: Number and Percentage of Workers by Religion of Household Head 61 5.10: Number and Percentage of Workers by Caste of Household Head 62 5.11: Number and Percentage of Workers by Land Size 62 5.12: Percentage Distribution of Households by Type of Housing 62 5.13: Percentage Distribution of Households by Ownership Status of Homesteads 63 5.14: Percentage of Households by Indebtedness 64 5.15: Purpose of Loan 65 5.16: Percentage Distribution of Households by Type of Health Facilities Accessed (Multiple Choice) 65 5.17: Number and Percentage of Workers/Non-workers by Highest Level of Education 66 5.18: Trafficked Children among Children of their Households 66 5.19: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked Children by Decision Maker (Of Child’s Moving Out of the Village for Work) 67 5.20: Percentage Distribution of Trafficked Children by Relationship with the Person Who Accompanied Them Outside the Village 67 5.21: Trafficked Children by Type of Work 68 5.22: Increase in the Number of Traffickers Approaching Households after the Floods (percentage) 68 5.23: Parents’ Awareness about the Identity of Persons Who Came to Village after the Floods 69 5.24: Percentage of Household Who Received Money in Lieu of Sending Their Child/Children Out