Child trafficking and labour network unearthed in Gujarat’s textile hub

By Jitendra Parmar 

In a major anti-trafficking operation that has once again exposed the widespread use of child labour in India’s industrial hubs, 91 minor children were rescued from three textile units in Surat, Gujarat, during a joint raid conducted by multiple agencies and child rights organisations.

The children, aged between 7 and 14 years, had allegedly been trafficked from economically vulnerable regions across four states and forced to work under exploitative conditions in Surat’s textile sector, one of the country’s largest industrial clusters. Activists associated with the rescue said the case highlights how deeply entrenched trafficking and child labour networks continue to operate across India, particularly in fast-growing industrial towns that depend heavily on cheap migrant labour.

The operation was carried out jointly by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), 22 police personnel from Rajasthan, officials of Surat’s Puna Police Station, and members of Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and Gayatri Seva Sansthan (GSS). Both organisations are partners of Just Rights for Children, a nationwide child protection network comprising more than 250 organisations.

According to officials involved in the operation, most of the rescued children belonged to tribal districts of Rajasthan, while three children were from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Bihar and Jharkhand. Traffickers and factory operators reportedly fled during the raids, though legal proceedings have been initiated and the children are being produced before the Child Welfare Committee in Surat.

The rescue operation was launched after Gayatri Seva Sansthan alerted the NCPCR about suspected trafficking networks operating in the area following a month-long investigation and mapping exercise. During the first raid, some of the rescued children themselves guided officials to other locations where more children had allegedly been confined and employed.

“They led us to a building that was locked from outside. But the children insisted there were more children inside. When we entered, we found children as young as seven working there. They appeared terrified, exhausted and disoriented after working for over 12 hours daily,” said Dr Shailendra Pandya, Director of Gayatri Seva Sansthan.

Recalling the condition of the rescued children, Pandya said one young child, estimated to be around eight years old, was found shirtless and hiding behind other children while asking if someone could lend him a shirt.

Investigators said employers allegedly adopted deliberate methods to evade detection. Younger children were reportedly brought to the units early in the morning and locked inside the premises from outside until evening. Authorities also found that the children were housed in cramped rented rooms nearby, with 12 to 15 children allegedly sharing a single small room.

Officials said some of the children disclosed that their parents knew they had been sent away for work because of extreme poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities. However, several younger children said they had been lured to Surat on the false promise of a trip or excursion.

Among those rescued were two brothers aged eight and ten from tribal areas of Rajasthan’s Udaipur district. Preliminary inquiries revealed that while some children had been working in the textile units for three to four years, others had arrived only recently.

Child rights activists said the case reflects a much larger pattern of trafficking and exploitation that continues to thrive in industrial centres across India, including textile, garment, embroidery and manufacturing hubs where migrant labour is in constant demand. They warned that children from tribal, rural and economically distressed communities remain particularly vulnerable to traffickers who operate through informal labour supply chains spanning multiple states.

Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, described the trafficking network as an organised criminal system operating across state boundaries.

“The rescue exposes how trafficking and child labour continue to function as an organised and deeply entrenched criminal network across states. Children, especially from tribal and economically vulnerable communities, are trafficked under false promises and pushed into exploitative labour conditions where they are isolated, confined and deprived of their childhood,” he said.

He said the incident underlined the urgent need for stronger inter-state coordination, tighter monitoring of industrial supply chains, and strict legal action against traffickers, employers and intermediaries involved in child exploitation.