Armed conflicts and its impact on women and children discussed
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, December 03 2013: 384 cases of child trafficking have been reported in Manipur.

This was revealed in a discussion today.

Maintaining that Manipur has been witnessing an increasing alarm in the rate of child related crimes and abuses, L.Pishak Singh, secretary New Life Foundation stated around 384 child trafficking cases, 500 child labourers, 140 child undergrounds, 25 sexual assaultees and around 20 children in jail convicted with crime existed in the state.

.LPishak was disclosing the figures at a discussion programme on "on Armed Conflict and Its Impacts on Women and Children" as part of the ongoing International Fortnight Observation Protesting Violence against Women from November 25 to December 12, 2013 at Manipur Press Club, Imphal.

Armed conflicts and its impact on women and children discussed

The discussion programme was also attended by Takhellambam Renu, president EEVFAM, Irengbam Arun, senior journalist and M.Sobita, secretary WAD, Manipur jointly organized by Women Action for Development (WAD), North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF), United NGOs Mission Manipur (UNM-M), Conflict Widows Forum (COWF), Peoples' Platform Secretariat (PPS), Village Women Coordination Committee (VWCOC), Association of Landmine Survivors (ALS) and Care me Group (CAG) .

.LPishak Singh speaking on the topic "Impact of Armed Conflict and AFSPA on Children in Manipur" said that there exists 80% of child drug users under age group 14-18 in the state.

Such range of children mainly comes from AFSPA convicted victims' families who have no one to support for their basic needs and educations.

Eventually these children come down in life and take up strenuous activities with no guidance over their shoulder.

Pishak concluded by saying that the state is facing a sorry situation where children's basic rights are denied due to the fallout from the imposition of AFSPA and its hazardous consequences.

Senior journalist Irengbam Arun, who spoke on " Role of media in responding to Violence Against Women (VAW) in the context of armed conflict and AFSPA, 1958" said that since times immemorial, women have been discriminated with an inferior outlook and their status in society has been compromised time and again.

The government's motive with the imposition of AFSPA, 1958 in the state is to act an iron hand to bring a solution to all problems, he added.

But on the contrary, instead of bringing immediate remedy to the cause of the state, the women suffer at large ends under the rule of AFSPA, 1958.In such a situation, the role of the media which is a vital tool in mediating between the two comes at play which is a hard task, Arun stated.

The role of the media has cut short to balancing the tension between the government and the insurgency group, he maintained.

Families and relatives' role play a main part in many cases of child abuse like trafficking on pretext of giving jobs or other related activities.

Even after the children victims are handed over to their families, they are not fully safe from being victims again at some points of time.

As such, the government should make alternate arrangements like giving them jobs in their homeland so that their future is secured, he added.