INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH CULTURE SOCIETY

Abstract:  In the words of William Wilberforce, “You may choose to look the other way, but you can NEVER say again that you did not know.” and this paper is an attempt to explore one such lesser-known but widely prevalent practice of Bride Trafficking around the globe. Human Trafficking, which is rightly called a ‘Basket of Crimes’ is hooked with many other offences like wrongful confinement, assault, kidnapping, slavery, forced labour, prostitution, sex trade, etc. Bride Trafficking, one of the cruellest forms of human trafficking, is a deep-rooted wicked tradition. In this market, females with unique names, are tagged with the same title of ‘Paro’ or ‘Molki’. They are nothing more than a commodity to be lured, decoyed, and sold off against their wishes, not once but multiple times. Due to this ‘marriage of convenience’, the relationship of a life partner has become a lifelong trauma for them.

Realizing the need to explore these untold stories, the Researcher reviews certain Indian documentaries portraying exploitations in this illicit trade and analyzes factors responsible for the intra-country trade practices by sharing case studies from different parts of India. Forging ahead, the Researcher explains different legislative provisions referring to this issue although not expressly yet impliedly; and examines the collaboration of the Indian government with the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) to eradicate bride trafficking. This paper is an attempt to unveil this dark trade, find its causes, complexities & consequences, and suggest probable solutions to erode the well-established roaring business of bride trafficking gradually.