MCPCR Chairperson urges Govt to breathe life into draft child policy
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 16 2026: With the State Child Policy of Manipur pending since 2017 and still awaiting Cabinet clearance and official notification, Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) Chairperson Keisham Pradipkumar has stated that such a prolonged delay reflects the inadequate priority given to child protection and development issues in governance.

Youth's Forum for Protection of Human Rights organised a consultation programme on Strengthening Child Protection Systems and Access to Justice in Manipur at Kanglei Conference Hall, Palace Compound today.

Addressing the function, Pradipkumar said that the State Child Policy which was drafted nearly nine years ago has still not been implemented.

He appealed to the Government to implement the policy without further delay.

Pradipkumar explained that children in Manipur continue to bear the consequences of both inter and intra ethnic armed conflicts.

Incidents of kidnapping, hostage-taking, ambush, killings, and violence have increasingly endangered children, with even women and minors not being spared, he said.

Saying that the MCPCR alone cannot ensure the safety of children, he added that Government authorities, civil society organisations, intellectuals, community leaders and other stakeholders must work together to create a secure and child-friendly society.

He appealed to all concerned to ensure that children are protected, shielded from violence, and safely released unharmed in any situation of conflict or crisis.

Pradipkumar said that the child rights domain has long remained in the back benches of global and local policy priorities.

Even the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentioned children explicitly only in limited sections, and it took another 41 years for the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), he said.

Saying that the ongoing crisis has taken a heavy toll on the people, especially women and children, he added that around 25 displaced children in Manipur face unique challenges.

Terms like IDP children don't exist elsewhere, he said, urging the Government to treat the issue of displaced children with utmost seriousness.

He expressed concern that many displaced children have fallen victim to crimes, while some have died by suicide.

During the programme, discussions were held on topics such as "Role of MCPCR in Safeguarding Reference to the Provisions of the POCSO Act: Institutional Challenges and the Need for Policy Strengthening", "Role of Investigating Officer and Challenges in Investigation of Child-Related Cases: Coordination Gaps and Key Areas of Concern," "Role of CWC in Child Welfare and Child-Friendly Justice Delivery: Practices and Constraints" and "Challenges in Ground-Level Implementation of Child Protection Services: Gaps, Barriers, and Way Forward" .

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