Sports calendar to create awareness on human trafficking released

MUMBAI: Sport Mission 2017 calendar, to create awareness on Human Trafficking was released by the head of the

Catholic Church in Mumbai

Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Geevarghese Mar Coorilos,

Orthodox

Metropolitan Bishop of Bombay.

Anson Thomas a former Customs Hockey goalkeeper, now an activist against human trafficking created the calendar. Thomas had taken voluntary retirement from Customs and for the last 25 years has been working in the red light areas of Mumbai. He has used

sports

and sports personalities to reach out to the children and women from the red light areas of India. Thomas has taken high profile sports personalities like Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Hudson Nicky Bjoye, Joel Garner, Ian Bishop , Abbey Kuruvilla, Harbajan Singh, Murli Kartik, actor Suneil Shetty to redlight areas as positive role models for the children and women.

The activist has till date rescued over 800 victims from red light areas across India. The illustrated calendar has quotes from scriptures, quotes of great personalities on slavery and also about what the Constitution, the laws as well as the Supreme court judgments on Human Trafficking.
Cardinal Gracias said human trafficking is one of the biggest criminal industry of the world and added that Pope Francis is signing a universal declaration along with other faith leaders of the world at the Vatican to end this global tragedy by 2020.