Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 01 2010:
In yet another effort of relieving children from domestic labour, Childline Imphal rescued three children from the residence of a Headmistress of a private school at Zomi Villa, North AOC on March 27 .
The Headmistress Narmada Rana is accused of confining three kids, Baby Rani (7/F), Sania (5/F) and Jack (6/M) (not real names) as domestic helpers in her private residence.
Police picked up Narmada Rana from her residence and filed an FIR against her yesterday.
Speaking to newspersons at Childline Imphal today, Child Welfare Committee, Imphal West Member Secretary N Jibanmala said that Childline Imphal picked up Baby Rani from Nongmeibung area on March 26 following a call received from one Suraj Singh.
The child ran away from the house of Narmada as she could not bear ill-treatment meted out to her, Jibanmala said.
On Baby Rani's disclosure, Jibanmala added, Sania and Jack were rescued from the premises of Narmada English School on March 27 .
Jibanmala further said a team of CWC I/W, State Social Welfare Department and Childline Imphal in its initial findings came to know that there is no boarding facility in the school and the children were kept as domestic help at the residence of the Headmistress attached to the school.
Saying that the children are currently lodged at the shelter home run by IWCDC, Thangmeiband, Jibanmala said the two girls are sisters from a village in Ukhrul district under Litan police station and the boy is from Sikkim.
Informing that the boy has forgotten his parents' name and his native village, the Secretary said a police Inspector Vishal Rai from Renauk, East Sikkim is said to have sent the boy to Manipur.
In the emergency medical examination, Jibanmala disclosed, the younger sister Sania had a fracture on her left forearm and many (healed) scars on the whole body including head.
John bears burnt injuries on his buttock besides many scars.
There are also injury marks and scars on the body of Baby Rani, Jibanmala said.
Meanwhile, local child rights activists have welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict for investigation into the recent illegal transfer of 76 kids from Manipur and Assam to Tami Nadu.
Having heard the case pertaining to the recent report of 76 north east children rescued from an unlicensed home in Kanyakumari in February this year, the apex court on Wednesday asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to inquire into it.
Of the 76 kids, 54 are from Manipur and the rest 22 are from neighboring Assam and all of them have already brought back to their native states.
"We welcome yesterday's Supreme Court verdict as we think, it will give a big impact to check further attempts to transfer kids illegally from the region on the false promise of giving free education outside the state," said K Maharabi, member of Bishnupur district Child Welfare Committee ( CWC), today.
Incidentally Maharabi was among a three-member team from Manipur who brought back the rescued kids from Kanyakumari.
"Since we are instrumental in bringing rescued kids from outside the state, we will extend all possible help and support to the ensuing probe," Maharabi added.
K Zanvailiu, a lady CWC member of Senapati district echoed Maharabi's comments saying the apex court's verdict will definitely give a big blow to fraudulent agents and the rackets.
On the other hand Maharabi along with a CWC member will leave Manipur to bring back 27 Manipuri kids who were rescued from an unregistered home in Tamil Nadu.
"These kids including girls hailing from the hill districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Tamenglong and Senapati are now in the safe custody of a government home at Madurai," Maharabi added.
Over one hundred Manipuri children belonging to poor families were rescued from being transferred illegally and kept at unauthorized homes in Tamil Nadu since January this year.
To check this menace, State's social welfare department has already asked all concerned to get beforehand approval of the department and concerned Child Welfare Committees if kids were to be taken outside the state for one reason or the other.