Telangana Minister Seethakka Declares Human Trafficking 'Modern-Day Slavery' at State Workshop
In a powerful address at a state-level convergence workshop on bonded labour and human trafficking, Telangana's Minister for Women and Child Welfare, D Anasuya (Seethakka), delivered a stark warning, stating that human trafficking represents modern-day slavery that systematically destroys human dignity and freedom. The event, organized by the Women Safety Wing (WSW) of Telangana Police in collaboration with the International Justice Mission (IJM) at Marigold Hotel, brought together over 200 key stakeholders to address emerging trafficking patterns and strengthen coordinated responses across the state.
Alarming Statistics and the Reality of Under-Reporting
Minister Seethakka highlighted the urgent scale of the crisis by citing both official data and grassroots realities. She revealed that Telangana registered 481 human trafficking cases in 2025 alone, with 929 victims successfully rescued. However, she cautioned that these figures likely represent only a fraction of the actual problem due to widespread under-reporting. "Human trafficking is not just a social issue; it is modern-day slavery that destroys dignity and freedom," Seethakka emphasized, adding, "If we fail to act, we become part of the problem."
The minister pointed to poverty and migration as primary drivers that traffickers continue to exploit. To combat this, she outlined the government's preventive measures, including interest-free loans exceeding 57,000 crore rupees extended to women's groups over the past two and a half years to reduce distress migration. "When livelihoods are created within villages, vulnerability to trafficking reduces significantly," she explained, while also citing literacy initiatives that have reached nearly seven lakh women as part of broader empowerment efforts.
Beyond Rescue: The Critical Need for Meaningful Rehabilitation
Drawing from extensive field experience, Anita Ramachandran, Secretary in the Women and Child Development Department, emphasized that rescue operations alone cannot break the vicious cycle of trafficking. She highlighted the challenges faced by children rescued from labour, who often struggle with reintegration due to language barriers and the absence of structured support systems.
"If we simply rescue and send them back, they are likely to fall into the same trap again. Rehabilitation must be meaningful, with education and sustained support," Ramachandran asserted. She called for institutionalized bridge schooling programs across states to ensure rescued victims receive the necessary education and care to rebuild their lives.
Dismantling Organized Criminal Networks
B Shivadhar Reddy, Director General of Police for Telangana, provided crucial insights into the operational mechanics of trafficking, noting that it functions through organized criminal networks rather than isolated incidents. He explained that victims are typically lured through fraudulent recruitment systems and transported across states via established corridors.
"Rescue is only the starting point. Unless we dismantle the entire chain, from recruitment to exploitation, justice remains incomplete," Reddy stressed. He advocated for intelligence-led policing, digital evidence collection, and financial tracking to secure convictions while ensuring victim-sensitive procedures. The DGP also emphasized the importance of coordination between police, labour, and welfare departments to prevent exploitation at every stage, calling for stronger monitoring of migration patterns, stricter labour inspections, and sustained awareness campaigns in vulnerable regions.
Bonded Labour: The Coercive Underbelly of Trafficking
Charu Sinha, Additional DGP of the Women Safety Wing in Telangana, highlighted that bonded labour remains a critically under-recognized dimension of human trafficking. "Bonded labour is not a contract; it is coercion. The focus must remain on investigating the entire chain while ensuring survivor dignity and safety," she stated, stressing that debt bondage must be treated as a serious criminal offence.
The workshop served as a platform for senior government officials, police personnel, members of the judiciary, legal experts, civil society organizations, and media representatives to collaborate on developing more effective strategies against trafficking. The consensus among all participants was clear: a multi-departmental, coordinated approach is essential to combat this modern form of slavery and protect the most vulnerable populations in Telangana and beyond.
