RAIPUR: Thirteen children from the primitive Baiga tribe, one of India’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), were rescued from hazardous cattle-rearing units in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district in a major crackdown on a child trafficking and bonded labor network. Eight alleged traffickers were arrested on Wednesday late.The children, aged between 8 and 15, had allegedly been taken away from their villages around seven to eight months ago after traffickers lured their families with promises of money and better living conditions. Police said the children were pushed into long hours of work in cattle units near the Kanha national park belt and were paid barely Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 a month.The operation was jointly carried out by Kabirdham police, Childline, the women and child development department, and a partner organization AVA of Just Rights for Children- a Delhi based NGO. They were tracking the movement of traffickers for nearly two weeks before alerting police.Kabirdham SP Dharmendra Singh said police acted immediately after receiving credible inputs. “These children were forced into bonded labor and were living in extremely exploitative conditions. An FIR has been lodged and efforts are on to identify and arrest all those involved in the network. We will ensure that the accused are brought to justice,” he said.The rescue unfolded in stages. Officials first rescued four children from one cattle-rearing unit. Those children then helped the team identify other locations where more minors were allegedly being held. By the end of the day-long operation, 13 children had been rescued from four places in the district.According to preliminary complaints, some children were allegedly “bought” for as little as Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. Police are also probing allegations that parents of some minors were paid money by traffickers before the children were taken away for work. Officials said the role of every person involved — recruiters, transporters, employers and middlemen — is being examined.The case has again exposed the vulnerability of forest-dwelling tribal communities to trafficking networks. Activists said traffickers often target families struggling with poverty, isolation and lack of access to education, offering small cash advances before pushing children into exploitative labor.Manish Sharma, senior director, AVA, said the rescue points to a disturbing pattern. “Trafficking networks prey on the extreme vulnerability of marginalized tribal communities. It is deeply disturbing that children as young as eight were forced into hazardous work. The immediate police response is commendable, but the focus must now be on rehabilitation, compensation, education and ensuring these children get back a safe childhood,” he said.After the late-night rescue, the children were shifted to child care institutions and are being produced before the Child Welfare Committee for further care and rehabilitation. Police have invoked provisions related to human trafficking, bonded labour, child labor and the juvenile justice Act against the accused.Officials said the investigation is being expanded to find whether more children from remote Baiga villages were similarly trafficked to cattle units or other labor sites. The district administration is also expected to map vulnerable villages and strengthen surveillance to prevent repeat trafficking.
