Manipur Alliance for Child Rights: August 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

A one day state level consultation on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and Juvenile Justice System was held in the conference hall of the Manipur Voluntary Health Association at Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal. The consultation programme was organised by Manipur Alliance For Child Rights (MACR).

Convener of MACR K Pradipkumar spoke about the increasing cases of sexual violence on children and the need for police action to prevent these crime. He said victims of sexual violence can claim compensation from the government. Director, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) Rakesh Meihoubam and Commandant of 1st Manipur Rifles Th Radhesyhyam also took part in the program.

Consultation on POSCO Act & Juvenile Justice held

Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 30 2014 : A day-long State level consultation programme on Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act & Juvenile Justice System was organized by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) at the conference hall of Manipur Voluntary Health Association (MVHA), Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal, Imphal East on Friday.

While speaking on the topic 'An Overview on Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act 2012' as one of the Resource Persons, K Pradipkumar, convener of MACR asserted that one could file a complaint at a nearest police station against sexual assault on children and action can be taken up against the concerned police personnel, if he fails to register the complaint or a wrong report is registered under Section 22 (1) .

He informed the gathering that various sexual cases like penetrative sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and sexual harassment can be registered under POSCO Act.

Th Radheshyam, Commandant, 1st Manipur Rifles, who was also present at the occasion spoke on the topic 'Role of Police in Juvenile Justice System'.

An open discussion on the theme 'POSCO Act & Juvenile Justice System' was also held during the consultation programme.

One day consultation programme held

Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 29 2014 : A one day discussion session organised by the Manipur Alliance for child rights was held today at Manipur Voluntary Health Association conference hall.

In his speech, resource person Th Radheshyam, Commandant, First MR said that the law enforcers are, from time to time through various training schemes, being taught about the child related acts and rules of the constitution like Juvenile Justice Act 2000, Juvenile Justice Rules 2009 and Prevention of children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act.

The knowledge of these acts and rules being inserted only lately in the constitution, he added, would much time then is anticipated.

To adopt Criminal Justice System, the MR commandant added, the State requires law enforcement, Judiciary and Panel institute (Prison/Jail).

Moreover, to provide justice to children, according to Juvenile Act, establishment of Juvenile Police Unit, Juvenile Board/Child relief committee and Observation home or Children Homes are required.

According to section 75 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) rule 2009, uniform personnel arent allowed to pick up children charged with 'confilct with law'.

According to section 76 of the same rule, the child cannot be handcuffed, section 11(13) demands provision of basic amenities to the child by the.

The same is required to present the child before Juvenile Board within the span of 24 hours, Radheshyam added.

The law enforcers are further required to reform, protect and promote the spirits of the children thus caught.

These childrens (below 18 years of age) are not aware of the difference between what is right and what is wrong.

It the duty of the law enforcers, Radheshyam said, to decide what will be best for the child, whether to release him/her on bail or to place him/her under strict observation in observation home.

Speaking of the role of CWCS in Juvenile Justice system, Human Rihts Director Rakesh Meihoubam said that any orphan, whether abandoned or surrendered, are not permitted immediate adoption.

They are kept under observation for atleast two months until their biological parents are recovered.

MACR convenor K Pradip, presenting the key note address of the event, spoke on POCSO Act 2012 and its efficiency in Manipur.

The event was also attended by stakeholders from various parts of the State.

191 cases of crime against children reported

Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 29 2014 : Even though Manipur witnessed 191 cases of crime against children in the last two years, only two accused involved in a rape case were convicted.

According to a report compiled by the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) based on newspaper reports, Manipur witnessed 191 different cases of crimes against children between September 2012 and August 17 this year.

Of the 191 victims, 104 were girls while the remaining 87 were boys.

These crimes included 36 cases of sexual assault and 99 per cent of the victims of sexual assault cases were girls.

Child trafficking constituted 86 cases of crime against children.

Out of them, 67 children have been rescued while 11 children could not be traced till date.

Four children were freed after serving as child soldiers for some period.

In the meantime, it was suspected that two children were recruited as child soldiers.

Five children sustained injuries in different incidents of bomb explosion.

Kidnapping attempts were made on two children while five children were molested.

During the same period, 31 children have been subjected to physical assault.

191 cases of crime against children reported

Four children were killed while three others were murdered after being sexually assaulted.

One child died during communal clash.

Nine children reportedly committed suicide even as six newly born dead kids were abandoned at different places.

Talking with The Sangai Express, MACR convenor K Pradipkumar decried that rate of conviction in cases related to crime against children is dismally low whereas crimes against children have been rising at an alarming rate.

Counselling and rehabilitation of the victim children is far from satisfactory.

The State is unable to implement the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act effectively, Pradipkumar said.

Against 36 cases of sexual assault, two individuals involved in a rape case were convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Commando driver Yumnam William s/o Y Deben of Khagempalli Panthak and actor Thongam Arun s/o Th Jayenta of Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after they were found guilty for gang raping a girl inside a restaurant.

Recording of statements of children who have been made victims of sexual assault either at police stations or other places by police personnel in uniform is not permissible according to the Juvenile Justice Act 2000, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Rule 2007 and POCSO Act 2012 .

With regard to some cases where the victims were summoned to police stations for taking their statements, some police officers told The Sangai Express that there are juvenile police units in every district of Manipur as per the provisions of JJ Act.

But all these units do not have adequate infrastructure.

Police personnel assigned to juvenile police units are sent to other unrelated duties too.

"It is against the law to summon rape victims, particularly children, to police stations for taking their statements and we are aware of it but we don't have vehicles to go to the victim's home or other places where the victim would find it convenient," said one police officer.

As such, the guardians/parents are requested to bring the victims to police stations for taking their statements, he added.

To effectively tackle crimes against children, systematic changes are required apart from equipping all juvenile police units with adequate infrastructure, said the police officer.

Quoting provisions of POCSO Act, Pradipkumar said that police should complete collection of evidence within 30 days after a crime against children has been committed.

Trial of such cases must be completed within a year.

Hospitals should admit and treat victims without waiting for registration of FIR, he added.

Monday, August 4, 2014

AMSU wails teachers’ irregularity in Jiribam school

http://ifp.co.in/page/items/22435/amsu-wails-teachers-irregularity-in-jiribam-school

JIRIBAM, August 3: The AMSU unit of the Jiribam Higher Secondary School held a press meet at the office of AMSU District Committee, Jiribam today.

Addressing the media, president of the unit Kh Tiken Meitei complained that although the 2014 academic session is already midway, the teachers have covered only two-three chapters in all subjects.

He said there are 40 teachers in the school, but on most days, not more than 20 teachers attend the school.

It is hard to believe that the teachers would be able to cover the whole syllabus before the end of the session, he said before adding that it would only harm the students.

So, the AMSU unit of the school is appealing to the irregular teachers to be regular and try to complete the syllabus of their subjects in time before the exams, he said.

In case the teachers fail to do so, the teachers would be held accountable for any outcomes during the time of examination, he continued.

Meanwhile, general secretary Jealoungam Rongmei expressed before the media that the punctualities of teachers’ attendance in accordance to the school timing is also very low.

They come according to their own timings, he said before declaring that such teachers who couldn’t even understand the importance of punctuality have no rights to enter the school.

The student leader further continued that there are also many shortcomings in the school.

He elaborated that during the time of admission, students are charged magazine fees, games and sports fees, library fees among others, however, such facilities are not provided in the school.

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.