Immoral Traffic

V. Sithannan, author of the title "Immoral Traffic - Prostitution in India", has marked it to the guardians of Law and Morals in India and the world. Standing firmly on the challenging locale of Indian Law and Legal System and drawing substance from his rich and varied experience as a Law Enforcement Officer of the Police Department of Tamil Nadu. Sithannan, in writing this monumental treatise, has fulfilled the longtime need of the Judicial Officers, Law Enforcement Authorities, Social Activists, NGOs, Gender Activists and the general public.


In writing this volume, the academic quest of Sithannan has made him to cull out diverse facts and figures from various enactments, official documents and literature relating to Immoral Traffic and Prostitution.


Further in this scholarly work, the author does not stop with expressing his sentiments of compassion for the Victims of Prostitution but he is concerned also with their rescue, rehabilitation and their decent placement in society, on a par with others. However, the agents, the brothel-runners and the traffickers in the trade of Prostitution come under his scathing attack and reprehensible condemnation, for these wolves, the world over , have made this ignoble profession into an industry, the third major lucrative global industry, next only to arms-smuggling and trade in narcotics.


The Book contains 17 Chapters plus 3 Appendices. In these divisions, the author, talks about the types, causes and impact of prostitution, which result in various forms of harmful diseases. Further, a comparative picture of the legal status of Immoral Traffic in other countries is also given.


Also, the author describes various instruments of Law, available for safeguarding the child victims of Trafficking and Prostitution. The Chapters on the Powers of the Police Officers and the Checklist(128) for Investigating Officers are path-breaking indeed!


Judgment of cases on Immoral Trafficking and Prostitution, recorded in the Book, along with a list of the Powers of the Court, the Central and the State Governments would be a major source of reference material for the officials of Law and Governments. Apart from this, the 39 points on further role of NGO's and People's Organisations and other Social Activists in the field and would be of immense value, when they go for field work.


The author has concluded the Book with suggestions and recommendations for arresting the menace of trafficking in persons and in this respect, he has made as many as 59 very valuable suggestions, besides giving 31 valid proposals and recommendations for effectively preventing child trafficking for purposes of prostitution and for engaging the child in worst forms of child labour.


The Appendices have listed in a detailed way the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, in detail in three aspects.


This Title is a scholarly one appearing at the most appropriate time, when the scourge of HIV/AIDS is catching up in a developing country like India, as wild fire, capable of halting its economic progress.


The author has rightly written in his Preface that when a Law Enforcement Officer reads this Book, he would ensure conviction for the offenders; when an Advocate goes through the Title, he will see to the acquittal of his clients; and when a Judicial Officer reads this Book and pronounces judgments on cases like these, he is sure to pronounce judgments marked by social concern and compassion for the victims-women and children.


No wonder that this book is a must for all the advocates, social activists, gender rights workers, NGOs and researchers on Gender Studies and other guardians of Law and Morals.