India tries to defend against American charges of human trafficking, child labor and forced marriages

India on Tuesday criticized the United States for putting it on a watch list of nations with a mixed record of tackling human trafficking, child labor and forced marriages. India "rejects judgmental and prescriptive approach by a foreign government," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. The 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the U.S. State Department on Monday cites child and forced labor and forced marriages as abuses in India. The U.S. State Department listed 32 countries, including allies such as Mexico, India and Kuwait, and important world powers including China and Russia, as being on a "watch list" of problem nations where the record of prevention and prosecution is mixed. The Indian ministry statement said India and the United States have an ongoing dialogue on the trafficking in persons, and the annual report "certainly is not helpful to furthering our dialogue." Rep.

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