Visiting NCPCR team's attention drawn to plight of children
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 25 2011:
The plight of the children of Manipur have become worse with the occurrence of various heinous crimes against innocent children besides the enduring onslaught of certain grave issues like the pandemic HIV/AIDS, armed conflict and child trafficking, the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) has asserted in a memorandum to the visiting team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), New Delhi.
The alliance submitted the memorandum to the NCPCR team which is camping in Imphal since yesterday to study the issues being confronted by the children in the trouble torn state of Manipur.
The team led by Dipa Dixit, member NCPCR, comprises of BK Sahu, registrar, Sanjoy Kumar Tiwari and Ramnath Nayak, senior consultants of the commission.
They arrived here yesterday and will stay till tomorrow, May 26 .
In the memorandum, the MACR drew the attention of the NCPCR into certain care issues affecting the lives of children at the most, such as RTE (Right to Education), HIV/AIDS issues, juvenile/criminal justice system, child trafficking, drugs and children with disabilities.
They seek immediate attention to monitor and give necessary recommendations in order to safeguard and protect the right to life, right to protect and development of marginalized children.
Putting up the issues related with the RTE, the alliance alleged that the failure of timely publication and distribution of various text book prescribed by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur has affected the academic career of lakhs of students in the state.
As in previous years, this year too, the state government could not provide text books in time even though months have passed after the school session started.
The government has responded weakly only after witnessing violent protest from student's bodies, the alliance informed NCPCR and urged the visiting team to give a strong directive to the government not to repeat its failure in future.
Children belonging to socially disadvantaged categories and affected and infected by HIV/AIDS are not getting free education at neighbourhood schools under the mandatory 25% reservation policy.
A recent survey conducted by MACR and various news reports have testified the fact.
The state government/RTE implementing authority has not taken up punitive action for non-compliance of RTE's provisions and standard norms by private unaided schools, aided schools and schools under special category.
Even government run schools and schools run by the district autonomous councils in hill districts do not comply with the provisions of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the memorandum went on to point out.
The memorandum further mentions the plight of children living with HIV/AIDS, on criminal justice system relating to crimes against children and also on child trafficking and urged the NCPCR to press the state government to expedite the process for setting up of a state commission for protection of child rights.
They also informed the NCPCR that many children who have been trafficked from the state under the pretext of providing free education, shelter and jobs still remained untraced in various places outside the state such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Bangalore, etc.
Some criminals involved in previous child trafficking cases managed to get bail very easily and they continue to be involved in other crimes, the MACR stated in the memorandum.
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