'Need to devise plan to evacuate students in case of violence'
Source: Chronicle News Service / Niranjan Oinam

Imphal, August 13 2023: Even though normal classes have resumed, it would be important for school management committees and parents/guardians' associations to devise plan to evacuate school students to safety in case of eruption of violence considering the volatile situation in the state, said District Child Protection Officer, Imphal West Yurembam Indramani.

Speaking to The People's Chronicle in an exclusive interview, Indramani observed how schools have resumed normal classes after a hiatus of over two months following the violence erupted from Churachandpur district on May 3.However, the situation is far from normal and nobody knows what will happen the next second.

In case of any violence erupting anywhere, teachers should play a crucial role for protecting the students and deliver them to their parents safely.

In this regard, respective school management committees and parents'/guardians' associations need to devise a plan for evacuating the students safely by coordinating with security forces.

School management committees should uphold the trust parents have on them while sending their children to school during such uncertain time's, he said.

He also appealed to the public to refrain from engaging in violent activities in the vicinity of schools as it will affect the students and endanger their lives.

Relaxations should be given to parents coming to drop or pickup their children, he said.

He further said that thousands of displaced children are taking refuge in different relief camps and they are not in a stable condition both mentally and physically.

District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) Imphal West under the aegis of DC Imphal West has been taking up various initiatives like counselling in order to provide mental support to ease the stress of the traumatic experiences they had faced.

Counsellors of social welfare department, One Stop Centres, Nirvana Foundation, DCPU and different NGOs are being utilised in this effort.

Besides, several group activities like singing, musical chair, story-telling, drawing and others are being carried out for the children, especially for those, who are not interested in such activities.

Sometimes, they are taken to excursion to Kangla, Manipur Science Centre, BT Park and Indira Park to freshen up their minds, he informed.

The mental condition of children differs between those, who fled from Churachandpur and Moreh where Meetei are minority, and Ingourok where Meetei are majority.

So far, the unit has identified five relief camps with such children and professional counselling in coordination with RIMS depart ment of clinical psychology will be provided soon.

For this, four experts from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Science (NIMHANS), Bangalore conducted hands on training from August 7 to 10.The experts also visited several relief camps, where they interacted with children and provided counselling, Indramani informed.

Social welfare department is also incorporating Anganwadi centres for regular visit to the relief camps by Anganwadi workers and helpers.

Duplicate old-age pension cards, widow cards have been distributed and eligible persons are also being enrolled afresh.

Appliances have been distributed to differently abled persons, and those who are yet to get benefit from such schemes, are being enrolled.

Moreover, initiatives are being taken up to identify orphaned and semi-orphaned children due to the crisis to explore plans for providing benefits under different schemes and to take up individual care plans for them, the DCPO added.

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