3rd State level children's cultural meet graced by the Director Social Welfare and Education Department of Manipur State

Children' Cultural Meet held at Imphal, June-2012

92 minors victim of CI ops

IMPHAL, May 30: The Manipur Alliance of Child Rights, MACR organized a state level workshop on Juvenile Justice System (JJ System) at the conference hall, Hotel Imphal today.

Convener, MACR, Keisam Pradipkumar in his keynote address said that 92 minors have fallen victims of counter insurgency operations in the state since 1970.

He expressed that the Juvenile Justice System is to protect child rights, however what is lamentable is that the laws and the constitution of the country seem only for the grown-ups especially in a state like Manipur where the Arm Forces Special Powers Act has been enforced.

The child rights activist cited several cases of children being kept in jail and given harsh punishments during his speech.

He said according to the JJ System if a child is found to be guilty he/she is liable to serve for only three years.

Elaborating more on the system, the activist explained that the provision of special powers to the security forces weakens the JJ Board in its fight to deliver justice to a juvenile during any face-off between the SFs and the JJ Board.

He continued that in the present scenario, child trafficking in the state has increased double-fold as culprits go unpunished at most instances.

The Standard Operational Procedure of the JJ Board or any bodies concerned with a juvenile case should be the welfare of the displaced juvenile, he added.

He further expressed his desire to incorporate a mandatory lesson on child safety procedure into the training module of all state and central forces.

Senior Manager of Child Rights and You Ashim kumar Ghosh lamented that a major difference in opinion exists in today’s society regarding the age group of a juvenile whenever a police case arises concerning a minor.

He said, the fact is that anyone under the age of 18 should be considered a minor, and the case should be taken up accordingly. The establishment of a separate court to deal only with child related cases was brought up in Parliament in the year 2000.

The police have to follow certain procedures while handling a juvenile case, he said before elaborating that both the police and the judicial officials should be considerate enough not to challenge the mind-set of the juvenile.

Ashim further talked about Child welfare Committee (CWC) and also about Child Protection Committee (CPC) before adding that the role of the JJ Board is weak in different districts of the state and needs more sensitization on the issue.

The workshop was also attended by several child rights activists from the districts of Chandel, Ukhrul, Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur.

NCPCR grills state on ‘encounter’

http://www.ifp.co.in/imphal-free-press-full-story.php?newsid=6286&catid=1

IMPHAL, May 20: The state Home Minister Gaikhangam has assured the members of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) that the alleged encounter death of Ahanthem Amujao would be investigated.

The 16 year boy from Sawombung was allegedly killed in an encounter at Khuman Palli by Imphal West commandos on February 29 last.

Briefing newsmen at Hotel Classic this morning Chairperson of North East Cell NCPCR Prof Shantha Sinha stated that after holding a formal hearing and meeting family members and other testimonies being heard, the NCPCR team found several ‘gaps’ in the police report of the encounter.

“The matter has been intimated to state home minister Gaikhangam and he has assured us that an investigation will be carried out and the report will be tendered to the NCPCR,” she said.

Mentioning another case of a juvenile being arrested by paramilitary forces at Chandel recently, Sinha said that the child was detained at the police station.

“This is a clear violation of the Juvenile Justice Act, a child cannot be kept in police custody and the act supersedes the AFSPA in the regard”, she added.

Prof Shantha Sinha stated that Manipur needs a state child policy to effectively address the child rights violation issues. As per recommendations of the public hearing held last year at Kangla, the complaint issues pertaining to education of children, SSA, mid day meals, disabilities etc have been addressed to a satisfactory level. She however stated that there have been no reports available for issues of children affected with HIV/AIDS.

Manipur has a worse problem with its law and order among north eastern states, the porous border, drugs, child trafficking, HIV/AIDS, poor educational facilities are more concentrated in the region and the worst end is received by the children.

“We condemn the recruitment of child soldiers by some insurgent outfits here, the state government needs to tackle the menace, for that a state child policy needs to be set up for holistic redress”, she said.

An IFP query on setting up of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) a state official Binobala informed members of the press that the state cabinet has already approved the institution of SCPCR and and that the notification would be issued shortly.

The NCPCR delegates notified that to address the challenges in tackling the child right violations, the Commission has approved setting up of a nodal cell here. The cell will comprise of two child right activists, namely Anne Mangsatabam of Childline and Keisam Pradipkumar of Manipur Alliance for Child Rights. The cell will function as a nodal agency for the NCPCR.

The Commission delegates with the chairperson included former CBI director Dr Kaarthikeyan and special advisor of NCPCR (north east), L Mishra.

It may be mentioned that this is the first time that the NCPCR chairperson and members have personally investigated an alleged fake encounter case following a complaint made by Centre for Organization, Research and Education (CORE).

Memorandum

Memorandum Submitted to Madam Prof. Shantha Sinha, Hon’ble Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MACR), 5ht Floor Chndralok Building, 36 Janpath New Delhi,    110 001, who is presently in Imphal,  by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights, Maringlane, New Checkon, Imphal East, 795001, Manipur, a collective body for protection of child rights, on this day the 19^th May, 2012 for favour kind consideration and necessary recommendations  in the best interest of the children.

Charter of demands of Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR):

1.                   Urged upon the NCPCR, to develop and prescribe a  Standard Operational Procedures/ Mandatory Guidelines  on the basis of guiding principles of UN Convention on  Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and as amended in 2006, taking into consideration the true spirit of  “The best interest of the child”;  to  be followed by security personnel and police engaged in such activities,  where children may likely to get direct or indirect impact of their military/aggressive action, in such  manner and extent, thereby affecting  basic rights of children such as Right to Survival, Development, Protection and Participation.

Because, Children in the state, are often entangled and  being the primary and secondary victims of such aggressive action of the security personnel and police, primarily  during   Counter Insurgency Military Operations, Encounters  between state and non state actors, Extra Judicial executions,  Mass Eviction and requisition  of houses/homestead lands, villages, forest and water bodies, in the name of so called  development projects- Dam construction, Airport expansion, Loktak protection etc. etc.

In order to prevent children becoming the  victims of  displacement, victims of armed conflict, being detached from attending school, who would be either made homeless or damped inside temporary relief camps without basic human needs, such as proper food, medicine and care facilities, exposing the children in unhygienic, discomfort and un-child friendly  environment.

2.                  Urged upon the NCPCR, to recommend  the state of Manipur, to submit the NCPCR  a periodic  detailed action taken report, the state has so far initiated against the recent  cases, of rape, and  murder of girl children after being raped, child trafficking in order to have a periodic  consolidated status reports of heinous crimes against children vis –a- vis state’s legal actions so far taken up.

3.                 Urged upon the NCPCR, to  issue a recommendation to the state home department, to submit a mandatory action taken report on each and every child trafficking, rape and murder of girl children within a stipulated time limit (least possible time), so that police do not neglect or derelict from their bounded duties, which may, otherwise cause  undue delay and denial of justice.  It is to prevent any possible negligence of concerned police official (s) duties, to check reluctance on  timely FIR registration and deliberate  slow-moving of police’s crime investigation on child rights violation cases

4.                    As Criminal Justice system,   juvenile criminal justice system in the state is not in place and in many cases improper charge sheet framing against the perpetrators, who committed offences against the children, have largely resulted into loss of evidence, twisting of facts and ultimately failed  to book and punish  the culprits, many culprits have  not been awarded deterrent legal punishment supposed to be awarded, various traffickers, rapists and murderers of young girls and children,  remained scot-free and they are found to be committing similar crimes against girls and children again and again.

5.                   Urged upon the NCPCR, to give directions, to the state home department, so that a speedy crime investigation is undertaken in every reported crime against  child, to make sure that culprit (s) gets deterrent punishment and victim (s)  gets justice as per relevant provisions of law of the country.

6.                 Urged upon the NCPCR to recommend the state home department to give compulsory induction training/sensitization on Child Rights/JJ Act/CRC/International Humanitarian and International Human Rights laws  pertaining to child rights and juvenile justice to all state police/ Village Defense Force/Manipur Riffles/Indian Reserve Battalion/ Central Para Military forces – Assam Rifles , CRPF and others  security forces operating in Manipur on priority basis.

7.       Urged upon the NCPCR, to ensure prompt follow up action against the state and concerned departments, so that the concerned department (s) would really comply with the relevant verdicts passed upon by the NCPCR Public hearing held in Imphal on 17 and 18 August, 2011 positively.

8.       Urged upon the NCPCR, to take up necessary steps so that Manipur government speed up the process for setting up the State Commission for Protection of Child Right in the state. 

Issue of child soldiers to be taken up with Centre

ZEE news

Shillong: The issue of child soldiers being used by militant outfits in Meghalaya and Manipur would be taken up with the Centre by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. 

"We will take suo moto cognisance and raise the issue with the union home secretary and seek appropriate actions in this regard," Commission member Yogesh Dube told reporters here after reviewing the status of child rights in Meghalaya on Saturday. 

Terming the matter of child soldiers as 'serious', he said the Government should ensure that action is taken at all levels to ensure that children be given their rights to life, education and health services. Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) in Meghalaya has been recruiting children in its fold and more than a hundred of them are at its camps in the jungle in Garo Hills, Meghalaya police said. 

In trouble-torn Manipur, several militant organisations reportedly having children as soldiers.

The Commission said senior concerned officers in Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur would be pulled up for violation of child rights. 

The Commission members during their three-day visit to Meghalaya said it should be ensured that no children were employed in mines in the state and stressed on the need to focus more on labour, mining and education. 

During their tour of coal mines in Jaintia Hills districts in Meghalaya, they found that some of them flouted labour norms and safety standards and provided no health care facilities. 

Dube asked the tribal mine owners to address the health and safety issues of its workers and said he would raise the issue with the union ministry of labour and with the Director General of Safety Mines to ensure that minimum safety standards are followed in the state's coal mines. 

During an interaction with members of civil society and NGOs and the Commission, the issue of childrights in stone and limestone quarries in other districts of the state also came under the scanner. 

The state government had yesterday handed over to the Commission the action taken report (ATR) on recommendations made by it during its visit to the state in November. 

Issue of child soldiers to be taken up with the Centre

Shillong, May 19: The issue of child soldiers being used by militant outfits in Meghalaya and Manipur would be taken up with the Centre by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
“We will take suo moto cognisance and raise the issue with the union home secretary and seek appropriate actions in this regard,” Commission member Yogesh Dube told reporters here after reviewing the status of child rights in Meghalaya today.
Terming the matter of child soldiers as ‘serious’, he said the Government should ensure that action is taken at all levels to ensure that children be given their rights to life, education and health services.
Garo National Liberation Army in Meghalaya has been recruiting children in its fold and more than a hundred of them are at its camps in the jungle in Garo Hills, Megha-laya police said. In trouble-torn Manipur several militant organisations reportedly have children as soldiers.
The Commission said senior concerned officers in Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur would be pulled up for violation of child rights.