Prostitution is killing childhood in northeast: study

Guwahati: All is not well with children in India's northeast. A study conducted by a Guwahati-based NGO along with the police has revealed that a shocking 20 per cent involved in prostitution in the region are aged between 11 and 17.

The survey conducted this year by the Global Organisation for Life Development (Gold) also pointed out that there was a five per cent rise in children taking to sex work over the past year.

The study lists poverty and displacement of population because of violence as prime reasons behind the increase in the number of children working as commercial sex workers in this region.

"It is mostly the children of poor parents who are forced to take to prostitution to earn money for the family," said director of Gold, Rajeev Sarma.

The study, spanning three months and released last month, saw field workers interviewing 350 child sex workers throughout the region.

In addition, the report also states that most of the children are victims of acute physical torture, saying they were initially raped and flogged almost to death to take up the profession.

Experts working in the field believe that prostitution and trafficking are flourishing in the region, as these crimes are invisible in nature.

Hasina Kharbhih, a team leader of the Meghalaya-based NGO, Impulse, who has been working in this area for many years, said that child prostitution is the immediate result of human trafficking.

Police reaction

The latest study has come as a shock for the police force across the region.

"The demand for child sex workers is rising at an alarming rate in the region and we have to do something drastic," said a senior police officer in Guwahati.

"Police forces across six states except Sikkim are working in a coordinated manner to ameliorate the situation. We are also involving various NGOs to assist us."