Author: stopglobalmovement

STOP successfully conducted a one-day programme in Almora, Uttarakhand, aimed at strengthening anti-human trafficking responses and child protection systems in the Kumaon region. The programme brought together a diverse group of stakeholders including government officials, law enforcement agencies, academicians, and representatives from civil society and community-based organizations.

The session opened with a virtual address by Prof. Roma Debabrata, Founder of Ramola Bhar Charitable Trust – Project STOP, who outlined the objectives of the programme and emphasized the need for collaborative, multi-sectoral approaches to address human trafficking. The initiative was further reinforced by the presence of senior officials, who highlighted the importance of convergence and actionable planning in tackling trafficking at both policy and ground levels.

Discussions during the programme focused on regional challenges, particularly cross-border vulnerabilities, and the urgent need for preventive strategies through awareness generation at the community and school levels. Stakeholders engaged in in-depth deliberations on trafficking trends, vulnerable populations, and existing legal frameworks, bringing forward practical insights from field experiences.

The programme featured dedicated sessions with representatives from Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs), government departments, NGOs, and CBOs. An interactive open forum with representatives from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Juvenile Justice Board (JJ Board), and Cyber Cell enabled participants to identify systemic gaps and propose actionable recommendations. These sessions emphasized strengthening coordination between agencies, enhancing community-based interventions, and building more responsive protection mechanisms.

Members of Project STOP played a central role in facilitating the programme. The team included Smritikana Ghosh Paul (Executive Director), Poonam Chaudhary (Field Coordinator), and Paridhi Negi (Project Associate), who supported coordination, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge exchange throughout the event. The programme also saw active participation from experts and practitioners such as Prof. Ila Shah and Gopal Singh Chauhan, along with partners from Spardha including Kailash Rautela and Anita Lohani.

The discussions contributed to the development of a preliminary action framework aimed at improving prevention, protection, and response systems. With participation from over 90 stakeholders, the programme served as a significant step towards strengthening integrated, multi-stakeholder efforts to combat human trafficking and enhance child protection mechanisms in the region.

Overview

RBCT’s Project STOP team conducted a field visit to the Sundarbans region to strengthen community engagement, assess ongoing work, and introduce sustainable livelihood opportunities for at-risk women.

What We Did

Community Mobilisation

• Engaged with women and local stakeholders in Jharkhali and Kultali
• Formed Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to promote collective savings and income generation

Livelihood Initiatives

• Introduced poultry farming as an immediate income-generating activity
• Explored crab farming as a seasonal livelihood option (planned for monsoon implementation)

Awareness Building

• Conducted sessions on early marriage and community responsibility
• Engaged local authorities to strengthen awareness and prevention

Capacity Building

• Planned skill-based training for women in poultry and crab farming
• Strengthened local coordination for future programme delivery

Key Outcomes

• Women organized into structured Self-Help Groups
• Immediate livelihood option (poultry) initiated
• Seasonal livelihood model (crab farming) identified and planned
• Increased awareness on critical social issues
• Stronger field coordination and implementation planning

Impact

This visit strengthened grassroots connections and laid the groundwork for sustainable, community-led livelihoods. By combining awareness, organisation, and income opportunities, the initiative moves toward long-term resilience and empowerment of vulnerable communities in the Sundarbans.

STOP participated in the state-level consultation “A Journey from Bondage to Freedom,” organized by the Society for Participatory Integrated Development (SPID) on 12 February 2026 at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi. The consultation brought together government departments, statutory bodies, and civil society organizations to strengthen coordination on child protection, trafficking, and bonded labour, while also marking 50 years of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.

Representing STOP, Field Coordinator Poonam Choudhary attended the consultation and engaged in the discussions.

During the interactive session, STOP raised a key concern about the common practice of delaying the registration of FIRs in missing person cases for up to 24 hours. The question highlighted the risks such delays can create, particularly when a missing person may be vulnerable to trafficking or exploitation.

Responding to the query, Ridhima from the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) noted that in some cases—such as elopement—the absence may be voluntary and the individual may return within a short time. J. B. Oli added that this possibility is one reason authorities sometimes wait before formally registering an FIR.

The consultation served as a platform for dialogue between government agencies and civil society on strengthening systems of protection. STOP used the opportunity to bring field-level concerns about delays in missing person cases into the discussion.

EVENT REPORT | STOP Raises Question on Delays in Missing Person FIRs

On the 28th of January, 2026, STOP was invited by the British High Commission to its Consular Reception. The organization was presented by Ms. Narayani Bhattacharya, Project Coordinator and Ms. Paridhi Negi, Project Associate. The meet introduced many well known organizations to each other to create a stronger networks amongst social changemakers.

On 20 January 2026, a jacket distribution programme was organised at Tigri for the students of RBCT–STOP. The initiative aimed to support students during the winter season and ensure their comfort and well-being while attending educational and community activities. The presence of the distinguished guests encouraged the students and highlighted the importance of collective efforts in promoting child welfare and education.

NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi | 12–13 January 2026

STOP (ATSEC- Delhi Chapter) participated in the two-day National Symposium on Women and Child Development held at the NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi, organized by ATSEC- Jharkhand Chapter. The organization was represented by Executive Director Smritikana Ghosh Paul, Project Coordinator Narayani Bhattacharya and Project Associate Paridhi Negi. The symposium convened representatives from government institutions, civil society organisations, policy experts, and practitioners to reflect on existing challenges and strengthen protection systems for women and children across India.

During the symposium, Smritikana Ghosh Paul, ED, shared insights drawn from STOP’s extensive field experience, emphasising the importance of a prevention-first approach to addressing human trafficking. The organisation highlighted how unsafe migration, socio-economic vulnerabilities, and structural gaps continue to expose women and children to exploitation, underscoring the need for early identification and community-level interventions.

Key issues presented by STOP included critical gaps in source area mapping, which limit proactive identification of vulnerable communities, and the misconception that the absence of registered cases—such as in AHTUs in Uttarakhand—equates to the absence of trafficking. STOP stressed that underreporting and weak outreach often mask the true scale of the problem. Field-based interventions undertaken by STOP in West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi were shared as practical examples of prevention, coordination with law enforcement, and survivor support.

The organisation also drew attention to the shrinking shelter home infrastructure in several states, highlighting the growing protection gap for survivors due to the withdrawal of NGOs from shelter operations. Positive examples of effective government–NGO collaboration from Himachal Pradesh were presented to demonstrate how coordinated responses can significantly strengthen prevention and protection mechanisms.

Ms. Smritikana Ghosh Paul, Executive Director of STOP, participated as a panellist in the session on women and child trafficking, contributing to discussions on trends, vulnerabilities, and survivor-centric responses. The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer segment, allowing for deeper engagement with participants.

STOP also set up an exhibition stall that remained active throughout both days of the symposium. The stall showcased awareness materials on human trafficking, unsafe migration, child marriage, and child protection, facilitating dialogue and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.

Through its participation, STOP reaffirmed its commitment to prevention, protection, and survivor-centric action, and to working collaboratively with government and civil society to ensure the rights, safety, and dignity of women and children.

On 12 January 2026, Ms. Roma Debabrata, Founder of Ramola Bhar Charitable Trust (RBCT), along with Mr. Debabrata Chakraborti, visited one of the widow-welfare homes, called Maitri Ghar Vidhwa Ashram in Vrindaban, Uttar Pradesh. The visit was undertaken to extend support to elderly widows residing at the Ashram and to observe the living conditions and facilities available to them.

During the whole visit, a total of 125 blankets were distributed to different widows in view of the winter season. In addition, a token amount of financial assistance was provided individually to each widow as a gesture of care and solidarity.

It was observed that nearly 95 percent of the widows residing at the Ashram were Bengali women. The residents appeared well cared for and maintained with dignity. A notable observation was a 109-year-old woman who was still actively engaged in work, reflecting the supportive environment of the Ashram.

The overall living conditions at Maitri Ghar Vidhwa Ashram were found to be satisfactory. Medical facilities were available and accessible. The quality and quantity of food provided were adequate. The ambience of the Ashram was clean and well maintained, and appropriate security arrangements were in place to ensure the safety of the residents. It was also noted that the Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, provides daily meals to the residents, ensuring regular food support.

The visit highlighted the importance of collective efforts in ensuring dignity, care, and well-being for elderly widows, and reaffirmed RBCT’s commitment to supporting such welfare initiatives.

Historical Background

From the nineteenth century into the early twentieth century, widowhood among women in Bengal was closely connected to the widespread practice of child marriage. Girls were often married at a very young age, frequently to men much older than themselves. Given poor health conditions and lower life expectancy, many men died early, leaving behind widows who were still adolescents or young adults.

Social Conditions in Bengal

Widowhood was socially not acceptable, particularly if they were young women. Widows were excluded from normal family and social life, and remarriage was discouraged or prohibited in many communities. Young widows who were pregnant or had small children faced even stronger rejection, as their situation was viewed as a social burden and a source of stigma for the family.

Displacement to Vrindaban

Families that were unwilling or unable to support widows often sent them away, sometimes under the pretext of pilgrimage or moral duty. Over time, Vrindaban became one of the places where such women accumulated because it had shelters, informal support networks, and a long history of receiving abandoned widows. This pattern continued for decades, resulting in a large population of widows from Bengal living in the town.

Life in Vrindaban

For many years, widows lived in conditions of extreme precarity. Survival depended on begging, group singing in exchange for small amounts of food or money, and charity. Most had no stable income, limited access to healthcare, and little possibility of returning to family life. Language barriers further isolated Bengali widows from the local population.

Reform and Continuing Reality

Legal reforms and social movements challenged child marriage and restrictions on widow remarriage over time, leading to a reduction in the creation of very young widows. Laws addressing child marriage and recognising widows’ rights altered formal norms, but did not undo the consequences of earlier practices. Many women who had already been displaced remained in Vrindaban throughout their lives, ageing within institutional shelters and informal systems of care. The continued presence of elderly widows from Bengal reflects the long-term effects of child marriage, social exclusion, and delayed social reform rather than an ongoing movement of abandonment.

On 8 January 2026, a jacket distribution programme was organised at Tughlakabad for the students of RBCT–STOP. The jackets were distributed by Retd. IAS Officer and former Chief Information Commissioner, Mr. Amitava Bhattacharyya, along with Prof. Ranjana Bhattacharya.

The initiative aimed to support students during the winter season and ensure their comfort and well-being while attending educational and community activities. The presence of the distinguished guests encouraged the students and highlighted the importance of collective efforts in promoting child welfare and education.

Jacket Distribution Programme at Tughlakabad

Date: 30–31 December 2025
Location: STOP Tughlakabad Community Centre

To strengthen community access to essential government services, STOP organized a two-day PAN–Aadhaar linking camp at its Tughlakabad Community Centre. The camp aimed to support community members in verifying their PAN–Aadhaar linking status and resolving related documentation issues.

During the camp, participants received on-the-spot assistance for PAN–Aadhaar linking, guidance on corrective measures where discrepancies were identified, and information on the importance of maintaining updated and compliant official records.

The initiative contributed to reducing documentation gaps while enhancing community awareness about government procedures, statutory compliance, and digital inclusion. By facilitating direct access to these services, the camp supported smoother engagement with public systems and promoted informed participation in formal governance processes.