MCPCR urges NCW to intervene
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 18 2024: Pointing to the escalating crisis in the state, Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) chairperson Keisam Pradipkumar has urged the chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) for its intervention.

"The violence that erupted in the state in May 2023 has escalated to unprecedented levels, contravening ethical norms and international legal standards designed to protect non-combatant children and women even in times of armed conflicts," said Pradipkumar in a letter to the NCW chairperson on Monday.

He mentioned that over the past 18 months, the prolonged unrest has claimed the lives of numerous innocent children and displaced approximately 25,000 more, severely impacting their basic rights to education, health, and safety.

The situation took a particularly horrifying turn with the recent abduction and killing of three minors and two women, he said.

The MCPCR chairperson stated that targeting children, helpless women, and the elderly constitutes grave violation of various national and international legal frameworks, apart from breaching the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, constitutional protections for women and children, and the immunities guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

"Additionally, these acts defy the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Form's of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the UN Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict".

In the letter, Pradipkumar drew the attention of the national rights bodies, including the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), towards pressing need to address the escalating crisis.

He called for them to issue strong recommendations to key ministries such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, alongside other relevant agencies, to foster a safer and protective environment for children and women.

The MCPCR chief further urged the NCW to despatch its representatives to the conflict-ridden state to assess the ground reality and initiate measures aimed at alleviating the suffering of affected communities.

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