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Phase 1: June 2013 to May 2014

Understanding what is happening

Initial hypothesis:Low deterrence to the human trafficking in India may be supported by (a) the lack of interstate investigation by the law enforcement agencies, and (b) that traffickers at the source areas are neither indicted, arrested nor punished.

What we did?

- Detailed study of 10 concrete cases about their legal and investigation process.
- To check where the loopholes of investigations have been in those 10 cases.
- To check how the survivor’s protection mechanism worked or did not work in those 10 cases.
- To conduct the stakeholder interviews to understand if the above points 2 and 3 are structural issues.

Learning

- There are structural gaps in systems for survivors to access justice.
- Among the systemic gaps, the most influencing factors fior low deterrence to human trafficking seem to be attributable to (A) lack of interstate investigation mechanism, (B) most of the survivors are not participating in the legal processes, and (C) pertinent human resources and budgets are not allocated to prevent the human trafficking crime.
- Hardly there is any programme which place survivors’ agency and best interest in the centre of the programme. In many AHT programmes/interventions, NGOs are creating duplicate system in parallel to the structure by the State.
- Traffickers of the source area are not at all indicted in FIR and chargesheets of the destination areas.
- There is hardly any inter-coordination of NGOs among Source-Transit-Destination areas, and idea of system thinking is hardly practiced in the AHT ecosystem.

Phase 2: June 2014 to May 2015

Experimenting

Hypothesis: By building the interstate coordination mechanism among NGOs, Tafteesh engages with the State to catalyse the interstate coordination mechanism among duty-bearers for investigation and prosecution. For that purpose, it is important to invest into team building for the members to become a part of larger movement beyond their own organization.

What we did?

- Case management of 41 cases (between Maharashtra and West Bengal).
- In WB, each case takes up procedural correction on (A) application of ITPA and POCSO pertinent clause, (B) investigation by the police officers above the rank of SI or by AHTU.
- In Maharashtra, each case takes up procedural correction on (A) include source area traffickers in destination FIR, (B) video conferencing for survivors’ testimony from the source areas, (C) witness protection (testimony in a different room with traffickers), (D) demand for the interstate investigation
- Supported survivors to form their own survivor collectives.
- Developed the Tafteesh strategy.
- Team building beyond organizational boundaries.
- Prepare for the PIL at the Supreme Court.

Learning

- Justice does not necessarily mean ONLY about the conviction of traffickers for survivors.
- However, much Tafteesh members did the procedural correction, West Bengal local police stations do not apply ITPA, POCSO and Sec 370 of IPC. Behind that, there is a structural issue (not only about the issue of the WILL of the local police station).
- What relationship can emerge beyond Saviour-Oppressor-Victim triangle?
- Scope/objective/purpose of the consortium is not necessarily perfectly matched with the purpose/mission/scope of participating member organizations.

Phase 3: June 2015 to May 2016

Building models and calling for a comprehensive anti-trafficking law

Observed achievement and outcomes

- Roop Sen, Programme Director of Tafteesh, was selected as a member of inter-ministerial advisory and participated in the inter-ministerial meetings anchored by the MWCD, on regular basis..
- The Supreme Court gave a directive to MWCD to develop a comprehensive law to deter human trafficking.
- Tafteesh’s learnings were advocated effectively in the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018drafting stage on the following points:

- To set up special agency for conducting the interstate investigation.
- Survivors’ rights to rehabilitation.

- Succeeded in partnering with Oak Foundation for co-financing Tafteesh with Kamonohashi Project which resulted in Tafteesh expanding the programmatic and operational scopes for the next 3 years.
- Magistrate courts in West Bengal started showing some signs to intervene into systemic gaps related to human trafficking cases.
- In 2016, survivor leaders and their parents participated in Tafteesh review meeting and shared how much they continued to struggle in their daily lives dealing with health issues and that their lives had not improved even an inch. This learning drove Tafteesh to pursue both legal and rehabilitation justice at par as the programme scope.

Phase 4: June 2016 to May 2019

Advocating for survivors’ voice

Observed outcome

- Tafteesh partner organizations proactively supported the new anti-human trafficking Bill introduced by the Women and Child Development Ministry, Govt of India. But it was not tabled in the upper house and got lapsed.
- NGOs working in anti-human trafficking sector appeared to have been divided into 3 groups -- sex workers’ rights activists, abolitionists and human rights activists. The divide might have contributed to the Bill getting lapsed.
- On the other hand, in the field level, it has been constantly observed that advocacy by survivors to District Magistrates is more effective and acceptable than the efforts by NGOs.
- We witnessed that survivors’ agency and high ownership of their actions have potential to change the system.This lead to develop a separate programme called Survivors Leadership Programme.

Phase 5: June 2019-February 2023

Advocating for survivors’ voice

From individual cases to mainstreaming the good practices in the systems

Ongoing

Phase 1: June 2013 to May 2014

Understanding what is happening

What we did?

Learning

Phase 2: June 2014 to May 2015

Experimenting

What we did?

Learning

Phase 3: June 2015 to May 2016

Building models and calling for a comprehensive anti-trafficking law

Observed achievement and outcomes

Phase 4: June 2016 to May 2019

Advocating for survivors’ voice

Observed outcome

Phase 5: June 2019-February 2023

Advocating for survivors’ voice

From individual cases to mainstreaming the good practices in the systems

Journey

Understanding what is happening

Experimenting

Building models and calling for a comprehensive anti-trafficking law

Advocating for survivors’ voice

From individual cases to mainstreaming the good practices in the systems