SCPCR, a necessity in Manipur today
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 22, 2012 -

Ningombam Pramod from the desk

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.

The Commission's Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Child is defined as a person in the age group of 0 to 18 years.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has been requesting the State Governments and the Union Territory Administrations to set up State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) in accordance with Section 17 of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.

Although no time limit has been prescribed in the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act for setting up SCPCR, the States and Union Territories are being reminded to set up these Commissions at the earliest. However, except for Delhi, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Goa, Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, rest of the other states have not constituted the State Commissions so far.

When we talk of violation of child rights and the need to constitute SCPCR, Manipur, of all states, cannot be leaved out, with a number of children becoming victims of rights violation, even to the extent of killing, raping and sodomising them, forget about depriving Right to Education. Such cases have become almost a daily happening in the state.

The constituting of SCPCR in state will help in examining and reviewing the safeguards provided by any law, present reports on the status of child rights protection from time to time and ensure that children affected by terrorism, communal violence, riots, natural disaster, domestic violence, HIV & AIDS, trafficking, maltreatment, torture and exploitation, pornography and prostitution, and further recommend appropriate remedial measures to stop such crimes against the innocent children.

It will also look into the needs of children requiring special care and protection including children in distress, marginalised and disadvantaged children, juveniles in conflict with law, those without families and children of prisoners.

Considering the number of child rights abuse cases in the state, it is high time that the state government urgently comes up with the constitution of SCPCR in Manipur. The state government should consider it most important and make it a priority issue.

Even Chairperson of North East Cell, NCPCR, Shanta Sinha, who is currently in Imphal investigating into the death of one A Amujao, who was allegedly killed by Manipur Police Commandos, has underlined the need to establish a nodal organization of NCPCR at the earliest possible time, in the state.

The initiative, though is the need of the hour and quite appreciable, would have been even more appropriate, had the state government pressed the NCPCR and discussed in detailed thereby coming up with an order to constitute SCPCR in Manipur.

Yet, nothing has been lost as of now; the state can still make up the loss whatsoever with setting up of one, and sooner the better.