Abandoning Ukhrul Children
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 24 , 2014 -
The Constitution of India may say that like any adult citizen, every child in the country has the right to live, be protected from violation of their rights and grow up with dignity.
But the ground reality has been quite different everywhere including in our own State, Manipur.
And, the surprises that sprang up during an inspection visit made by an official team led by Justice N Koteshwor Singh of Manipur High Court at the offices of Ukhrul-based Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) have only given a glimpse to the official inspection team on the harsh reality of the scenario of child rights and their protection in Manipur.
After all, Manipur is notorious State where even the Ministry of Women and Child Development had to step in to stop funding for JJBs for the Financial Year 2012-2013 because of widespread corruption and misuse of the resources behind the false claim of the State Government that JJBs had been set up in all nine districts of the State, when it was not actually so.
The shoddy affairs in the functioning of the two offices of CWC and JJB in Ukhrul district which were found out during the inspection visit has also raised further question on the manner of setting up the CWC and JJB by the State Government, if at all they have been set up.
Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, and its subsequent Amendment, the Government of India ordered setting up up Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in every district of the country.
CWC is supposed to deal with children in need of care and protection like destitute children, orphaned children, abused children, etc, while JJB has been designed to handle issues related to juvenile delinquents or children in conflict with laws.
However, much to the embarrassment of all, the offices of CWC and JJB in Ukhrul were found existing only for namesake with no proper infrastructures.
If the visit to the tiny office of CWC revealed that there were no proper file and functional computer; a peek inside the even tinier office room of JJB, which reportedly opened just few days earlier on learning about the inspection visit with an ornamental computer, an empty almirah and few chairs and a table (perhaps all taken on rent for the day) says a lot more than what it could reveal.
Both the offices of CWC and JJB in Ukhrul district are said to be have been opened following an order issued by the Governor in 2012.
But from all these revelations that came to light during the inspection, one can safely conclude that the two most important Government institutions at the district level for ensuring protection of children from violation of their rights are yet to a find a football in Ukhrul district, which is prone to child trafficking and abuse cases.
The public of Ukhrul and more particularly the vocal organisations should understand the importance of these two institutions and speak up for the rights of their children as well.
It is not for without any reason that we say, “Child is the father of man”.
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