SW Department bans sending children outside state for studies
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 10 2010:
Social Welfare Department has sought imposition of a ban on sending out children below the age of 12 years or those in primary schools to other states to pursue education.
The department issued an office memorandum in this regard on November 2 last in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court passed on September 1 of this current year.
The Supreme Court, in its order directed Manipur and Assam to ensure that no child below the age of 12 years or those in the primary school level are sent outside for pursuing education until further orders.
Mention may be made that in the last few years many minor children from this two states were rescued from many unregistered children's homes in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where they were ill-treated and tortured in many ways including sexual abuse to the girls.
Most of the victims were from remote hill areas of Manipur's Tamenglong, Chandel and Churachandpur districts with a few from Ukhrul and Bishnupur districts and Assam's New Cachar Hills district.
Most of the were taken away by pastors and child traffickers luring their parents with false promises of providing good education and shelter.
Over 200 children of the state had been brought back to the state after they were rescued from unregistered homes in Tamil Nadu and Karnatak.
Recently a total of 58 children, all from Tamenglong district were brought back from Karnataka and state social welfare department handed them over to Tamenglong district child welfare committee for rehabilitation.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), New Delhi made an inquiry into the large scale transportation of children from one state to another including Manipur and Assam to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka following a directive of the Supreme Court.
The Commission inquired into the matter and submitted a report to the Supreme Court on July 15 last, a copy of which has been shared with the state of Assam, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and as well as to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of DoNER and Ministry of Home Affairs through Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD).
After analyzing the report of the NCPCR, the Supreme Court directed, among others, to ensure that no child of above said age category are sent outside their respective states.
The court also directed Ministry of DoNER looking after the development affairs of the north east region to assess requirement in terms of educational infrastructure such as construction of school buildings, hostels and children's homes in consultations with the states of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and submit a report to the Ministry of Human Resources Development for support.