Sunday, September 1, 2013

Pearls of wisdom for Manipur kids

Pearls of wisdom for Manipur kids

| Sunday , August 11 , 2013 |

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OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

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Mary Kom at the cultural meet in Imphal on Saturday. Telegraph picture

Imphal, Aug. 10: Manipur sports icons Mary Kom and Ng. Shantikumar Meitei today urged the children of the state to struggle hard to excel in their chosen fields.

“If I can, you can also excel. You may find hurdles but take them as a challenge. Hard work, discipline, determination and dedication are the keys to success,” Mary Kom told children who had come from all the nine districts of Manipur to attend the fourth annual children’s cultural meet here today.

Mary Kom, Olympic bronze medallist and Shantikumar, Mr World 2013, attended the daylong annual children’s cultural meet organised here by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights with the support of Child Rights and You, Calcutta.

Mary Kom said she won the Olympic bronze even after having two children.

“I became world champion after bearing three children. You are still very young. You all can win if you try hard despite the odds,” the boxer, now a mother of three, said.

Mary Kom is taking time off from active sports to take care of her third son.

“I was born to a very poor family. I am the last of 10 siblings. I struggled hard and the result is here. You can win if you want,” Shantikumar said.

Shantikumar is a Manipuri-Taiwanese, who won the Mr World title in the age group of 40-49 in the world championship organised by International Natural Body Building Association at Zakynthos in Greece last month.

An English teacher, Shantikumar has now settled down in Taiwan with his Taiwanese wife and four children.

He is currently in Imphal visiting his family.

The organisers brought the two icons before the children to inspire them.

The presence of these towering personalities inspired the children, who chanted, “We want to become famous like them,” in response to a question by state social welfare minister Mirabai Devi, who addressed the opening programme as chief guest.

Children belonging to different communities presented cultural programmes.

This year’s theme is Today’s Secure Childhood Ensures a Magnificent Tomorrow. K. Pradipkumar, the convener of Manipur Alliance for Child Rights, said the objective of the programme was to send a strong message on the need for a normal childhood.

“Because of the conflict situation, HIV/AIDS and child trafficking, many children are robbed of their normal childhood. No society can progress if the children do not have a secure childhood,” Pradipkumar said.

11-Aug-2013 at 12:43 AM

Such meets bring peace, love amongst the people living in hill and valley of the state: A K Mirabai

IMPHAL, August 10: Along with two youth icons of the state, the 4th Annual Children’s Cultural meet was celebrated under the theme “Today’s secured childhood ensures a magnificent tomorrow” at Tribal Research Institute, Auditorium Hall, Chingmeirong today.

The cultural meet was organized by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights(MACR) with the support from Child Right and You (CRY), Kolkata.

Around 500 children along with teachers, parents attended the meet.

The function was attended by Social Welfare Minister A K Mirabai Devi, Thongju MLA Th Bishwajit Singh, Olympic medalist M C Mary Kom, Mr World Dr Ng Shantikumar Meetei, MACR convenor K Pradipkumar and CRY associate general manager Ashim Kumar Ghosh as presidium members of the function.

Speaking at the function, A K Mirabai said that such meets brings peace, love amongst the people living in hill and valley of the state. She further said that since 1975 till today, 42 projects for the benefit of children specially for girls were already set up by social welfare department and still 43 projects are in under process, she said.

While giving keynote address, K Pradipkumar said that the reason for choosing such theme is that to get basic needs of children as well as getting their fundamental right.

He also suggested that to make child policy as a state policy. He further said that Juvenile justice fund should set up immediately.

Speaking at the function, Ashim kumar said that organizing such cultural meet for integrated culture, social of the children and also make a platform for gathering as well as sharing their feeling, thoughts.

Speaking at function, Dr Ng Shantikumar said that as he was grown up in the poor family, he is the last among 10 sibling of Kanglatombi. He further said that his father was farmer who does not have their own land. Hard work, positive thinking and determination should get his present status, he said.

Speaking at the function, M C Mary Kom said that when she started playing boxing, she did not get any support from family, friends. Instead of supporting, they discouraged her, she said.

She also said that before marriage she got silver medal. After marriage she got world Champion title twice and after having kids also she got world champion title twice.

She further advised the young girls not to lose hope as you are girls. “If I can do it, why not you”, she said.

August 11, 2013

Strict measures taken up to prevent child trafficking: Mirabai

The government is taking up strict measures to prevent child trafficking cases which are being carried out by some NGOs to earn hefty amounts, said Social Welfare Minister Ak Mirabai. She was speaking as Chief Guest at the 4th Annual Children’s Meet 2013 organised by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) under the sponsorship of Children’s Rights and You (CRY), Kolkata at the auditorium of Tribal Research Institute, Chingmeirong, Khongnang Karak.

The meet was held under the theme “Today’s Ensured Child’s Childhood Ensures Magnificent Tomorrow. MLA Thongam Bishwajit presided over the function. Associate General Manager of CRY, Ashim Kumar Ghosh; Mr World Dr Ngangbam Shantikumar and Olympic Medallist MC Mary Kom were also present as Guests of Honour.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Mirabai said that the government is taking up strict measures to prevent human trafficking cases by establishing Juvenile Justice Board and deploying concerned officials in all the nine districts of the state.

There are reports and incidents of some NGOs with vested interest trafficking children from poor family and orphan to earn some hefty amounts. The government is closely observing such cases and investigations are going on against suspicious NGOs.

Organising such meets for the children and providing a common platform to the children of different communities is a great way to bring unity among the different communities residing in the state.

MLA Th Bishwajit said that it is important for the parents to identify the talents of their children and provide them further education in the field they are suited for. He also said that he will take up plans to provide financial assistance to sexually abused children and child victims of violence from his Local Area Development Fund.

Convener of Manipur Alliance for Child Rights, K Pradipkumar said that there are cases of children from the state being trafficked to other states and sexually abused and become victims of violence. He appealed to the government to make a State Child Policy.

Children from different districts showcased cultural programmes as part of the annual meet.

The Sangai Express - Largest Circulated News Paper In Manipur" alt="The Sangai Express - Largest Circulated News Paper In Manipur

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Children’s Cultural meet

IMPHAL, Aug 10: The 4th Children’s Cultural Meet 2013 jointly organised by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights and Child Rights and You, Kolkata was held today at the Auditorium of Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Chingmeirong.

Social Welfare Minister, AK Mirabai and MLA Th Bishwajit Singh attended the cultural meet which was held with the theme Today’s Secured Childhood ensures a magnificent tomorrow as the chief guest and president respectively.

Olympic Medallist, MC Mary Kom and Mr World title winner, Dr Ng Shantikumar were the special invitees.

Speaking at the occasion, AK Mirabai expressed her confidence that the children’s cultural meet would go a long way in bringing mutual love among the hill and valley people.

She called upon the people to strive to live and prosper together with a strong foundation of national integrity.

Pointing out that the Social Welfare department has been striving to implement various welfare schemes for children, the Minister also said that the department is putting efforts against child traffickers.

Olympic medallist, MC Mary Kom exhorted the children to work hard so as to achieve success. She inspired the children to be obedient to parents, teachers and elders and trust in God.

Mr World 2013, Dr Ng Shanti Kumar encouraged the children to learn enthusiastically with the aim to become a valuable citizen.

Leishemba Jagoi, Khoibu Folk Song, Kom Folk Dance, group songs, solo, cultural show, nursery rhyme, Gangte stick dance, Kabui Dance, short play, skit show, Kuki folk dance, modern dance Khubak eshei, Khamba-Thoibi dance were presented during the cultural meet.

Hueiyen Lanpao

The message for masses

Sunday, August 11, 2013 09:34 PM

4th Children's Meet held

Imphal, Aug 10: Under the theme of 'Today's Secured Childhood Ensures as Magnificent Tomorrow', the 4th Children's Meet was held today at Tribal Research Institute, Chingmeirong under the aegis of Manipur Alliance for Child Rights today with Social Welfare Minister AK Mirabai as Chief Guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister AK Mirabai said that after the ICDS project was taken up in Ukhrul district as a pilot project in 1975, altogether 42 projects have been taken up successfully under ICDS up in different parts of the State till today. The State Government is urging the Central Government to increase the number of project to 43. In addition to this it has been urged to expand the project to all the 60 blocks of the State.

The Minister explained that since the funds for payment of wages to Anganwadi workers and helpers are sanctioned on a yearly basis, certain problems are faced by the State Government in trying to give the wages to the Anganwadi workers and helpers in time. So, their salaries would be given out on quarterly basis.

Delivering the Presidential speech, MLA Th Bishwajit maintained that apart from providing right to education, children should also be ensure the right to survival, right to protection, right to participation and the right to development.

MC Mary Kom, Olympic Bronze Medalist and Dr Ng Shantikumar, Mister World were also present on the occasion as Special Guests.

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THE CHILD RIGHTS MANIFESTO

Today, unseen, ignored, almost half of all Indian children under
the age of five are underweight, millions die each year of easily preventable
diseases and 8 million children do not go to school. In the 21st century, in
one of the world's fastest growing economies, this is unacceptable.

CRY - Child Rights and You works to ensure lasting change in the
lives of underprivileged children and you can help - by making your vote
count. Get our leaders to do more for children. Create a vote bank big enough
for them to hear that we, the people. demand child rights - the rights to
education, safety, healthcare, and participation.

Pledge your support and wear the yellow ChildMark proudly on
your finger.

THE CHILD RIGHTS
MANIFESTO
16th General
Elections 2014
CRY - Child Rights and You calls on all political parties to
become campaigner of rights of all children in India.

India, with about 430 million children, has the world’s largest
child population with every sixth child in the world today referring to India
as ‘home’. Although children constitute over a third of India’s population,
they are accorded a low priority in national policy and governance decisions.
CRY urges political parties and governments in power to take heed and ‘Put children first’ and include the following commitment
suggestions that can impact over a third of this nation’s population, when
designing their own election agenda.
• Harmonize the age
definition for all child-related legislations in line with National Policy for
Children 2013 where child is any person below the age of eighteen years.
• Ensure Right to
Education is fully exercised as fundamental right and Amend and expand the
scope of Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 such that: All Children between 6-14 years
get enrolled, regularly attend Elementary
school and avail quality education. Also, all children from 0-6 years and 14-18 years should come under the purview of the Act.
• Strengthen
implementation of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) such that all six services viz
Supplementary nutrition, Health Check-ups, Immunization, Nutrition & Health
Education, Pre-school non-formal education and referral services are
effectively functioning. Also ensure that there is an adequate investment
carried out in decentralized planning, universal coverage and trained
personnel.
• Reduce child mortality
and morbidity and ensure that no child remains malnourished through carrying out sustained efforts
towards complete immunization, regular health check-ups and growth monitoring,
proper nutritional support and health counselling of all children under 18
years.

• Declare access to
quality primary healthcare a Fundamental Right in the Constitution of India and strengthen Primary Health Care
systems and child health amongst the urban poor.
• Ensure Food security at
household level for all marginalized groups of people with proper implementation of the National
Food Security Act, 2013 and consider amendments (i) increasing the
protein/fat intake for pregnant mothers and children to 20-25 gms (according to
Supreme court order) instead of current provision of 18-20 gms (ii) including services such as immunization, health check-ups etc
which have been part of the ICDS as part of the Act (iii) making provision of supplementary
nutrition for children in the14-18 age group.
• Amend the Child Labour
(Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2012: to abolish all forms of child labour by removing the distinction
between hazardous and non-hazardous categories of work for all children up to
18 years of age.
• Invest adequately in
ensuring protection for children by: (i) implementing policies and programme that protect children from
abuse, violence and exploitation; (ii) investing in
appropriate referral services for the recovery, rehabilitation and
reintegration of victims of abuse, violence and exploitation; investing in
creating a cadre of trained professional (iii) creating robust
monitoring of implementation of child protection mechanisms, schemes and
policies (iv) creating a proper database for child
trafficking, street children, missing children and ensuring a fully functional
newly developed child tracking system – ‘Track child’.
• Ensure Gender Parity,
Social Equity, and the rights of Children with disabilities with providing equal opportunities for all
social groups – SC, ST, Minority group and urban deprived groups. Become more responsive
to needs of girl children and children with disabilities.
• Allocate sufficient
Budget for Children (BfC) allocations by
increasing the allocation from 4.64% to at least 10% of total Union Budget. Also introduce a child budget component in the budget of all
allied Ministries and ensure effective National, State and District-level
management and utilization of outlays/ budgets.

The best interest of the child needs to be put at the centre of
all policy, legislation and practice affecting their young lives. India’s one
third population deserves demonstration of commitment as a nation. It calls for
action to express zero tolerance towards violation of children’s rights so that
every child attains happy, healthy and creative childhood.

MACR- Manipur Alliance for Child Rights- Charter of demand in Assembly elcetion, 2012

1. A strong political commitment to find out a political solution in place of repressive militarisation policy, to end the
long dawn armed conflict, that has been bringing out xtraordinary denial of the right to survival, development, and
protection of all the children in Manipur, including the children living with HIV/AIDS, by repealing the AFSPA which gives impunity extra judicial powers to the army.

2. A holistic state policy for ensuring safe and secured environment, where each and every individual could enjoy the equal opportunity for economic, social and cultural development.

3. A mass employment policy for youths, providing employment opportunity within the state, not merely in state security forces but in welfare and other allied sectors.

4. Setting up of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights with the full strength of the members, free from any political interference, where independence of the commission members while providing justice to the aggrieved children is upheld.

5. A comprehensive State Children’s Policy, under which children are provided with all the entitled rights of survival,
development, protection and participation without any discrimination.

6. A commitment to announce the education institutions as completely free zone, free from any political interference, corruption, military occupation, economic hindrance, while
ensuring meaningful free and compulsory education to children.

7. A commitment for providing adequate budget for schools’ infrastructural development, with special provisions for accessing to barrier free for children with disability, creating an enabling environment, so- that teachers could attend the schools without any hindrance, adequate support and monitoring mechanism for complete implementation of Mid Day Meal scheme in Government Schools and Aided Private Schools in the state.

8. A commitment for adequate budget support for nfrastructural improvement of health institutions at Panchayat, Block and District level, accessible provisions
for institutional delivery in the PHCs with proper pre and ante natal care facilities.

9. A commitment to make all ICDS centres, accessible and functional, ensuring additional nutritional support to the Children Living with HIV/AIDS by linking with the existing
ICDS centres.

10. Commitment for timely disbursement of fund to the
Government sponsored children homes, proper implementation of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). Opening of Girls Shelter homes and Girls Children Homes
in the state on priority basis.

11. To set up Integrated Trauma Counselling cum Life skill Centres in all districts, for victims of child trafficking, rape,
conflict inflicted children, and other Child in Need of Care and
Protection and Juvenile in Conflict with
Law.

12. A commitment to ensure regular supply of safe
drinking water and uninterrupted power supply to every village and household, by acknowledging that without regular water and electricity supply, realisation of basic rights including right to life, right to education, right to health and development are not possible.

CRY- CHILD RIGHTS and YOU appeals to the people of Manipur on the event of Assembly election

1. Political and social stability in the state where people can be engaged in peaceful social and cultural life. Each and every individual, especially children could feel secure and protected. There must be ample opportunity for children and the youth to enjoy a happy and healthy life.
2. Children should be completely immunised at the community level. Government health services must reach every community so that each and every child can access basic Government health services.
3. Children below 6 years must be enrolled in ICDS centres and must get a midday meal along with additional food nutrient support. ICDS centres must be opened everyday for the children.
4. HIV positive children must get additional nutritional support, regular health check ups and ART treatment. Families of HIV positive children must get additional economic support from the state.
5. All children must get free and compulsory education at the community level. Government schools must be easily accessible and should have properly trained and qualified teachers.
6. Children must not be trafficked; it is the responsibility of the state to be alert on the issue of child trafficking, and ensure the protection of children at the community level.
7. All efforts must be made to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked children into society and through Government sponsored homes/institutions.
8. Children who are engaged as child labourers or as domestic workers must be rescued by the state and rehabilitated through proper legal actions by the state authority.

CRY- Child Rights & You Charter of demand on the occassion of 10th ManipurAssemble election

1. All political parties should commit to ensuring a safe and secured social environment, where each and every individual, especially children can enjoy a peaceful and healthy life; all individuals must get equal opportunity for economic, social and cultural development.
2. All political parties should commit to setting up a State Commission for Child Rights to protect the rights of children in the state. The Commission should be kept free from any political interference.
3. All political parties should commit to drawing up a clear-cut policy for children at the state level, where children will be provided with the rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
4. All political parties should commit to announce all educational institutions as zones free from political unrest, and ensure free and compulsory education to all the children.
5. All political parties should commit to allocate adequate budgetary provisions for building basic infrastructure for schools, with special provisions for disabled children.
6. All political parties should commit to make provisions for adequate budget support to develop infrastructure of health institutions at Panchayat, Block and District level. They must ensure that all children in the state can avail of free Government health services.
7. Long-term conflict has resulted in the unprecedented denial of the right to health, survival and development for all children in Manipur, including HIV positive children. The government should push for a permanent end to the armed conflict as it is one of the major reasons behind the poor access to healthcare.