One week on, State Govt yet to respond to SoS of rescued kids
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 18 2013: It's been almost a week since the 51 children, including 41 are from Manipur, were rescued from a children home at Jaipur by Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi.

The rescued children are all in the age group of 5 to18 years.

The very next day after the rescue, Tangkhul Shinao Long informed both Nagaland and Manipur Government to make necessity arrangement for bringing them home.

In response, the Nagaland Chief Minister immediately call back and assured that he would personally come to Delhi to take the children back home and arrange rehabilitation and counseling for them as soon as possible.

However, from the side of Manipur, there has been no response till now.

It is very disheartening to know that the Chief Minister of Manipur is oblivion of the recued children waiting to be taken home.

Such insensitiveness over such a sensitive issue makes me feel ashamed to even say that I am from Manipur", said Malem, a social activist.

Many gazetted officers from other states have been coming to console the children and even the Governor of Rajasthan had assured that he would extend help in every possible way.

All the 51 children were rescued from two unregistered homes set under the same name, 'Grace Orphanage Home' at Jaipur, Rajasthan by a Keralite known as Jacob John.

They were brought to the Homes on the assurance of providing them better education and jobs.

However, the rescued children have testified that Jacob John ill-treated them and sexually abuse some of the older girls.

Due to the forceful confinement in a single room with no proper facilities, out of rescued 51, 8 of them today could not walk properly and they are waiting for the help of the government for proper treatment.

When the police raided Jacob John's Grace Homes, in one room they found 600 bottles of alcohol and in another leftover foods and rubbish emanated rotten smells all over.

The rescued children have disclosed on some nights they were forced to consume alcohol.

"As the duty of a civil organization, we have rescued the children.

Now, it is the duty of Manipur Government to come and take them home, give proper counseling and rehabilitation," Felicita Shongvah, President of Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi, said. "Till now, there has been no response from the Manipur Government.

What are the Social welfare and Child welfare of Manipur are doing? It seems the Chief Minister of Manipur is busy exchanging souvenirs with visiting delegates and gracing functions as chief guest.

He has not been made a courtesy call to show his concern over the issue of discrimination being faced by Manipuri people outside their homeland", Felicita lambasted.

This same attitude of the Government of Manipur is the reminder of another incident in 2012 in which 17 girls from Nagaland and Manipur were rescued in Chennai.

The government of Nagaland immediately responded and took home the rescued girls belonging to Nagaland whereas it took 8 months for the government of Manipur to respond and finally take home the girls belonging to Manipur, she added.

Paul Newmai, a social activist, pointed out, "Since 2011, 46 girls from Northeast have been rescued in Chennai, and most of these girls are from Manipur.

But the Government of Manipur has never given any prompt response.

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