Source- Imphal Free Press
Leader writer : Paojel ChaobaTimes are tough,no need to describe the
sufferings of the public. The economic blockade still enforced by the UNC leaves
us in a status quo. Among the major wants is fuel, serpentine queues are still
witnessed and one has to wait long hours in the sun to get the rationed
amount.
The unavailability of petrol creates a domino effect to the entire system.
The education sector is also affected as school vans cannot transport students
and private schools had to close down for the day. Similarly teachers find it
hard to attend their duties due to the predicament.
Such issues need to be monitored by the government and at present it is
clearly evident that the SPF ministry had left much wanting in its governance.
The flagship schemes for the child, Sarva Sikhsya Abhiyan, mid day meals etc are
aimed for the benefit of the child, but is much debatable if the norms so laid
down under the provisions of the schemes are implemented in totality. The recent
scam of an assistant inspector of Bishnupur district caught selling off rice
meant for students by the school monitoring committee is an eye opener, there
must be myriad similar scams being perpetrated, especially at the hill areas.
The implementing bodies of the government are there but the need for a
monitoring body to assess and take preventive measures for the welfare of the
child, a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights must be instituted at
the earliest.
The Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC) was adopted as a treaty body
in the UN on 20th November 1989. India signed and ratified the CRC on 11th
December 1992. On signing and ratifying the Convention, India is mandated to
monitor and enforce this treaty.
In 2011, we have a year left for India to submit its periodic report on the
implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 2012. Cutting
closer to home, on just the surface of the point lies many schools, where
children under 18 years of age goes, closed under the reeling crunch of fuel
shortages among others. How do we explain this scenario in our various reports
on the implementation of CRC, notwithstanding the fact that RTE 2009 has been
passed, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is still in progress, Juvenile Justice(Care and
Protection) Act 2006 has been passed with due amendments, Integrated Child
Protection Scheme has been initiated and implemented with due budgetary
allocations and many others which necessarily paves way for the best interests
of the child to survive, to develop, to participate and to be protected,
including special protection in situations of emergency and armed conflict.
Human rights activism in Manipur is not mere heresay and it’s a serious
matter including those of child rights. Civil society’s reaction to the rampant
kidnapping of children, closure of schools, trafficking have resulted in
positive response even from the government in earlier years. Dissemination of
information and awareness building amongst the stakeholders about the pertinence
of child rights in shaping a better tomorrow has not seen the end of the day.
Effective and strategic efforts define the working of many an organisation for
children in a place like Manipur where children are often denied of childhood,
be it be drugs, armed conflict, displacement, or simply failure of the
governance system.
Juxtaposed with this impending emergency of bandhs and blockades, where
children are consistently and continuously denied of basic health care,
nutrition, adequate standard of living(read electricity), denied of the right to
be educated, to leisure and above all denied of the right for their views to be
respected or should we say denied of a space to be heard at all.
Where do we go from here? No doubt we have our Child Welfare Committees,
Juvenile Justice Boards in place under the purview of the JJ Act, which the
government was almost compelled to pass due to a PIL filed by child right
activists in 2000. But that is still a limited arena for the varied and manifold
spectrum of rights that need to be fulfilled for a child to live a dignified
life and to maketh a better Manipur. We are aware that CRC is being implemented
and the state government will endeavor to fulfill the rights of the child in all
its capacity but who will monitor the progress and who will take compliance?
Significantly, the Commission for the Protection of Child Rights Act 2005 has
been enacted and a National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has
been duly formed in 2007. Officials from this National Commissions has come to
Manipur to conduct public hearings to look into the violations of child rights
and instructed the state government to take necessary actions. So far, 12 states
have constituted the State Commissions for Child rights including that of Assam,
Sikkim, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Bihar, Rajasthan etc. Manipur was one of the
foremost state to constitute a State Human rights Commission, procrastinated on
setting up the Manipur State Commission for Women and we believe that the State
Commission on the protection of child rights will soon see the day once our
legislators get pro-active on an issue which is so deemed necessary in our
state, in our land which we know for sure that we do not inherit from our
ancestors but borrow it from our children.
Leader writer : Paojel ChaobaTimes are tough,no need to describe the
sufferings of the public. The economic blockade still enforced by the UNC leaves
us in a status quo. Among the major wants is fuel, serpentine queues are still
witnessed and one has to wait long hours in the sun to get the rationed
amount.
The unavailability of petrol creates a domino effect to the entire system.
The education sector is also affected as school vans cannot transport students
and private schools had to close down for the day. Similarly teachers find it
hard to attend their duties due to the predicament.
Such issues need to be monitored by the government and at present it is
clearly evident that the SPF ministry had left much wanting in its governance.
The flagship schemes for the child, Sarva Sikhsya Abhiyan, mid day meals etc are
aimed for the benefit of the child, but is much debatable if the norms so laid
down under the provisions of the schemes are implemented in totality. The recent
scam of an assistant inspector of Bishnupur district caught selling off rice
meant for students by the school monitoring committee is an eye opener, there
must be myriad similar scams being perpetrated, especially at the hill areas.
The implementing bodies of the government are there but the need for a
monitoring body to assess and take preventive measures for the welfare of the
child, a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights must be instituted at
the earliest.
The Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC) was adopted as a treaty body
in the UN on 20th November 1989. India signed and ratified the CRC on 11th
December 1992. On signing and ratifying the Convention, India is mandated to
monitor and enforce this treaty.
In 2011, we have a year left for India to submit its periodic report on the
implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 2012. Cutting
closer to home, on just the surface of the point lies many schools, where
children under 18 years of age goes, closed under the reeling crunch of fuel
shortages among others. How do we explain this scenario in our various reports
on the implementation of CRC, notwithstanding the fact that RTE 2009 has been
passed, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is still in progress, Juvenile Justice(Care and
Protection) Act 2006 has been passed with due amendments, Integrated Child
Protection Scheme has been initiated and implemented with due budgetary
allocations and many others which necessarily paves way for the best interests
of the child to survive, to develop, to participate and to be protected,
including special protection in situations of emergency and armed conflict.
Human rights activism in Manipur is not mere heresay and it’s a serious
matter including those of child rights. Civil society’s reaction to the rampant
kidnapping of children, closure of schools, trafficking have resulted in
positive response even from the government in earlier years. Dissemination of
information and awareness building amongst the stakeholders about the pertinence
of child rights in shaping a better tomorrow has not seen the end of the day.
Effective and strategic efforts define the working of many an organisation for
children in a place like Manipur where children are often denied of childhood,
be it be drugs, armed conflict, displacement, or simply failure of the
governance system.
Juxtaposed with this impending emergency of bandhs and blockades, where
children are consistently and continuously denied of basic health care,
nutrition, adequate standard of living(read electricity), denied of the right to
be educated, to leisure and above all denied of the right for their views to be
respected or should we say denied of a space to be heard at all.
Where do we go from here? No doubt we have our Child Welfare Committees,
Juvenile Justice Boards in place under the purview of the JJ Act, which the
government was almost compelled to pass due to a PIL filed by child right
activists in 2000. But that is still a limited arena for the varied and manifold
spectrum of rights that need to be fulfilled for a child to live a dignified
life and to maketh a better Manipur. We are aware that CRC is being implemented
and the state government will endeavor to fulfill the rights of the child in all
its capacity but who will monitor the progress and who will take compliance?
Significantly, the Commission for the Protection of Child Rights Act 2005 has
been enacted and a National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has
been duly formed in 2007. Officials from this National Commissions has come to
Manipur to conduct public hearings to look into the violations of child rights
and instructed the state government to take necessary actions. So far, 12 states
have constituted the State Commissions for Child rights including that of Assam,
Sikkim, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Bihar, Rajasthan etc. Manipur was one of the
foremost state to constitute a State Human rights Commission, procrastinated on
setting up the Manipur State Commission for Women and we believe that the State
Commission on the protection of child rights will soon see the day once our
legislators get pro-active on an issue which is so deemed necessary in our
state, in our land which we know for sure that we do not inherit from our
ancestors but borrow it from our children.
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