Imphal, August 06 2010: The symbol of Red Cross Society, Red Cross on white background was the original protection symbol declared at the 1864 Geneva Convention.

The wrong use of the symbol will be checked for taking up legal action, said general secretary of Indian Red Cross Society Manipur State Branch, Dr M Lala today.

Speaking to reporters at the office of the society at MG Avenue, the general secretary observed that some doctors and life saving drug dealers are using the symbol of the Red Cross Society in the wrong manner.

The misuse of the symbol has given a wrong impression to the people of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh particularly.

In Manipur, the symbol is being wrongly used by the people in medical and life saving drug dealer professions particularly at the time of bandhs, blockades and other forms of strikes.

In such situations, people treated members of the society as doctors, he observed.

The society uses the symbol to signify an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusive humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance.

The Society also uses the symbol only when the volunteers are on a specific mission.

When the volunteers of the society rushed to a place where help from a neutral and independent body is needed, many difficulties were faced as people tooks them to be a medical team, he said.

The wrong use of the symbol by individuals is punishabel under section 14(12,13 and 14) of Geneva Convention Act 1961 (adopted in India) by imposing fine to those who use the symbol wrongly.

Asserting that it is the responsibility of the Manipur and India governments to check misuse of the symbol while giving awareness to the people is the duty of the society, he also said that the society will soon launch a campaign to create awareness to the general public on the use of the symbol.

He also showed various symbols of the Red Cross Society which are in used at different places and said Red Crescent is in use in Islamic countries, Red Trident in Israel.

These symbols are not related with doctors, pharmacies, hospital, ambulance, etc.

Due to the misuse of the symbol by different section of the society, sometime volunteers of the society were look down upon when they rushed to extend assistance to needy people, he said.

Dr Lala also recalled an instance of the wrong use of the symbol by a doctor in Senapati and said that the doctor was detained by an Army officer when he was found using the symbol in the wrong manner.

The Army officer with due respect asked if he was a volunteer or member of the Red Cross Society but when he was not satisfied with the manner the doctor was using the symbol in the wrong manner, he was detained for some time, the secretary said.

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