Madhya Pradesh Congress chief urges PM Modi to tackle child trafficking amid poverty

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate action on the sale and purchase of children from Madhya Pradesh in Maharashtra due to poverty, citing media reports. Patwari asked the central government to summon the chief ministers of both the states and take strict action against those involved.

According to ANI, the Patwari’s letter said, “The children are for sale in the Kanchanwadi area of ​​Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra at a price of Rs 25,000. These children belong to tribal families from Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh who have gone to Maharashtra for work. Tribal families from 11 villages in Khandwa’s Mundi area migrate to Maharashtra and Gujarat for livelihood, but such financial desperation forces them to sell their children.

The letter also revealed that many tribal laborers in Madhya Pradesh are selling their children on construction sites in Maharashtra due to severe poverty. “The alarming practice has become a tradition among families who survive by begging due to lack of work,” it noted. Patwari criticized the ineffectiveness of government schemes meant to benefit these communities, accusing them of being mired in corruption.

Patwari pointed out that the exposure by the media reports brings to light the significant hardships faced by Dalit and tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh. He pointed out that the Madhya Pradesh government is heavily indebted and instead of addressing such critical issues, it is allegedly wasting money on luxuries and corrupt activities. He pleaded for an urgent meeting between the central government and state chief ministers to chalk out effective measures to tackle the untoward situation and bring the perpetrators to book.

(With contributions from agencies.)