Children march for their rights
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 23: Raising the demand for ensuring their rights and protection, hundreds of children took out a rally in Pallel Bazar today.

Children coming from as many as 16 villages located in and around Pallel Bazar of Chandel district participated in the rally.

Organised under the aegis of Development and Protection of Child Rights, Pallel and New Era Environmental and Development Society (NEEDS), the rally started from Pallel Bazar to Pallel High School ground where a public meeting was also held.

Children with placards march appealing that their rights as children are protected and respected

The young participants carried placards inscribed out with slogans like 'Give our rights', 'Stop child trafficking', 'Stop child labour', 'Stop gun culture', 'Stop killing civilians', etc during the rally.

As a symbol of denouncing violence, the young children also relinquished their toy guns by handing them over to the organiser of the event who in turned along with the village chiefs presented sports materials like football, etc to the children.

Addressing the public meeting which followed the rally, chief functionary of NEEDS Aangshem observed that inspite of attainment of independence for the last 60 years, India Government has not been able to ensure the rights of its children, specially in villages and other remote areas.

Children have not been getting their rights pertaining to education, health care, access to nutritional foods and to live in a peaceful environment devoid of violence, Aangshem noted.

Chief of Maringphai village MM Meshilshum pointed out that instigation of young children in remote hill villages to take up arms by various UG groups is one of the main concerns that need to be addressed while talking of ensuring the rights of the children.

It is really unfortunate that such instigations have become a cause of unhappiness to the parents besides depriving the children to lead a normal life.

The president of All Tribal Women's Organisation, Chandel K Sakhila who also spoke at the occasion, noted that although Child Welfare Committee and Juvenile Justice Board have been set up in the State along with enactment of the Juvenile Justice Act in 2000, the activities of the CWC and JJB have started only this year in Chandel district.

So the problems of the children in the district are yet to be given proper attention.

In Pallel Bazar itself, many child labourers are being engaged for various odd jobs, she pointed out, adding that if the rights of the children are to be ensured then the parents should not force their children to become child labourers for the sake of money.

We should also stand collectively against abduction of innocent children for ransom, she exhorted.

Pastor R Simeon of Nungourok, while observing that in the prevailing armed conflict situation, children have started presuming gun as the symbol of power, said that presenting footballs instead of toy guns to children is the right step towards keeping them from violence.