Kerala HC Judge Shares Thoughts in Workshop
Poor education linked to child trafficking
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 18, 2012: Citing deprivation of education as the main cause of child trafficking, Justice CN Ramachandran Nair, Senior most Judge of Kerala High Court has stated that 90 percent of child trafficking related problems can be solved in the State in case the Government of Manipur ensures proper education to all the children. Speaking as the chief guest at the one-day workshop on 'Child Trafficking' organised by Manipur State Legal Services Authority at 1st MR Banquet Hall here today, the legal expert asserted that only through effective measures to develop human resources, child trafficking malaise could be adequately tackled.

Elaborating on the assertion, Justice Nair maintained that some parents of the 26 children recently rescued from Kerala had cited education of their wards as a main factor for sending them to the southern State.

He stated that during an interaction between the rescued children and their parents, the latter disclosed of entering into a deal with some agents that their children would be provided free education and free lodging facilities.

(Contd P 8)Not ruling out possibility of these parents sending their children back to Kerala, Justice Nair strongly recommended that Government of Manipur take appropriate measures to ensure education of the children.

Speaking at the occasion, Member Secretary of Kerala State Legal Service Authority P Mohandas conceded that inspite of legislation prohibiting child trafficking, child labour or sexual exploitation of children these illegal practices could not be effectively checked.

Cautioning that absence of a conducive academic environment had been compelling parents to send their wards to other States, including Kerala, he called upon the Government of Manipur to take up all relevant measures for ensuring adequate educational facility and promote conducive academic atmosphere failing which checking child trafficking problem will remain illusive.

Justice Talapatra of Gauhati High Court commenting on the issue pointed out that, among the North Eastern States, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh frequently face problem of child trafficking, an indication that apart from lack of educational facilities, these States have food insecurity issues to address.

Stating that out of the country's total population 34percent comprise of children with many of them belonging to the economically unsound families, he asserted that the State Governments have to shoulder the dual responsibility of ensuring proper education and health of the children.

Failure to ensure such basic amenities by the Government make children from poor families highly vulnerable to cases of kidnapping or luring away from their parents by agents under the pretext of good education but whose ultimate agenda is exploitation, cautioned the Gauhati High Court Judge.

Providing free fooding and lodging to these poor children should be part of the component of a Government's education policy, suggested Justice Talapatra who also pointed out that out or about 44,000 children victims of child trafficking over 11,000 remain unaccounted till date.

Justice T Nandakumar of Gauhati High Court, in his presentation lamented that ongoing conflict situation in Manipur had been adding to the problem of child trafficking.

Inspite of the universal norm that parents as well as adult members of the society should ensure protection of the children, the restive situation in Manipur coupled with enmity and violence almost everyday negates such universal concept thereby making the young children susceptible to kidnapping, he explained.

Justice Nandakumar also pointed out that every five minutes nearby 40,000 children below 16 years of age go missing while a child below 10-year is raped every 13th minutes.

Most the victims are either children from poor families or with some physical deformities and orphans, he maintained.

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