On International Day against Trafficking, a campaign called #KidsNotForSale has been launched by an NGO to spread awareness over child trafficking.
WATConsult, the digital and social media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network India, and Snapdeal are also part of the campaign, according to a statement by the NGO Save the Children which launched the campaign.
In less then 24 hours the petition has been signed by more than 1,000 people, including celebrities like Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Twinkle Khanna and Richa Chadda, a statement said.
The campaign pointed out that an estimated seven children go missing every hour. Half of them, are never able to return home. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, nearly 1 lakh children went missing.
The conviction rate of these criminals was a dismal 22.7 per cent in 2016, the statement claimed.
Pragya Vats, Head of Campaigns, Save the Children, said, "Children are the most easy target, trafficked and pushed to most harmful forms of labour and abuse, often forced into prostitution, physical labour or domestic work.
"Young and vulnerable, children are losing their childhood forever to one of the most inhuman practices that remains one of the dark realities human trafficking. We must break the apathy, build a public momentum to #KidsNot4Sale," she said.