Interview with Dave Skivington by Press Gang Member, Howard (Part 1)
In a recent interview with David Skivington, author of the
novel Scar Tissue, he recalled that
inspiration for his book came from the disturbing experience he had while
travelling in India at the age of 18. David recalled that while he and a friend
were walking down the street in Calcutta they “were approached by a man [who
was] basically offering us young girls for sex.” Shocked and upset by the
event, David went on to research the extent to which human trafficking was
prevalent in India. The results of his findings inspired him to put pen to
paper in the form of Scar Tissue.
Although the event that moved David to write Scar Tissue may be upsetting, it should
not come as a surprise. A recent study by the Australian-based rights groups Walk Free found
that just under half of the 30 million people enslaved in the world are in
India. It should be noted that although not all of the men, women and children
enslaved are done so for the purpose of sexual exploitation, this does not make
their condition any less horrific. Many of these modern day slaves are born
into debt bondage and because of this, or due to the persistence of the caste
hierarchy, they are forced to work tirelessly in unsafe conditions in mills,
factories and kilns from an early age. Many are coerced through means of sexual
violence.
It is widely recognised by both the Indian government and
international observers that, while it may not be the only form of enslavement,
the trafficking of persons in India for sexual exploitation is widespread. The
practice is not only limited to Indian nationals but there are also large
numbers of Nepali and Bangladeshi women and children trafficked as India
increasingly becomes a destination for trafficked persons as well as a source.
The Indian government has a number of measures in place to
try and tackle the issue including the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, the
National Advisory Committee to Combat Trafficking, and nation-wide Anti Human Trafficking
Units. Despite these measures, it would seem that the prevention of trafficking
is limited and the conviction rate of those responsible is poor. Indeed, the
United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime reports that in 2008, out of the 8512
people against whom prosecution for trafficking in persons commenced, only 1565
were convicted.
The United States’ Department of State ‘Trafficking in
Persons Report 2013’ observes that although the Indian government is making
significant efforts to ensure the problem of human trafficking is recognised
and tackled, it still does not comply with minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking. While actions such as the establishment of Anti
Human Trafficking Units are commended for being steps in the right direction,
they are at the same time criticised for being inefficient, negligent and, at
times, existing on paper only.
These figures, and the overall assessment of human
trafficking in India, are deeply disturbing. Facts and figures, however, can
only go so far in opening people’s eyes to the grotesque nature of the
situation. It is for that reason that books such as David Skivington’s ‘Scar Tissue’ serve such a vital purpose.
Despite being fiction, it is often the case that the story told is not too far
removed from the truth.
This is a truth that everyone should be aware of.
Review of David Skivington’s Scar Tissue coming soon.
For more information on the issue of human trafficking and
global slavery see:
Adam Leake
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