315 children missing in Nagaland since 2007 

Kohima, Sep 4 : In the backdrop of child trafficking in various North-eastern states, a Dimapur-based NGO has found in its survey that a total of 315 children were missing since January 2007 to July this year in Nagaland. 

The NGO, "Prodigal House", had conducted the survey following the missing of several children in the North-east, especially in Assam and discovered that child trafficking was an 'organised crime' by certain groups in this part of the country with most of the cases going unreported.  

In case of Nagaland, it has become difficult to assess the gravity of the situation due to the absence of any organisation dealing with prevention of human trafficking. 

However, the survey of the Prodigal House, which had taken the gigantic task under the aegis of "Foundation of Social Transformation", revealed that out of 315 children, 230 children were below 18 years of age.  

As per the initial findings of the NGO, 68 per cent of the missing reports were from Dimapur, 27 percent from Kohima and the rest are from other districts of Nagaland.

While 26 per cent of the reported missing children were Nagas, 36 percent of the missing children were yet to be traced. 

The NGO stated that eventhough the Dimapur Police and Women Cell of Police Department were serious about the issue, it was not enough to tackle the problem.

The process of human trafficking was dynamic and unless various stakeholders, law enforcing agencies and general public were sensitised the menace would persist, it added.