By W Rorrkychand Singh
Child right is the fundamental rights for each human being below the age of 18. When we talk about Child Rights, it comprises right to compulsory education, food, shelter, free from bondage labour and other children related rights. However, in a state like Manipur, where the people are deprive of better education, economy and freedom the right of children seems to be at vague.
As per the survey conducted by Manipur Alliance for Child Rights, a total number of 895 children were victimized in one year (Sept 2011 to September 25 2012). It means, on a daily basis around 3 (three) children are becoming victim in Manipur. However, if we look into the reality, many child rights violation especially minor rape, molestations were not reported at all and the victimizers continue to ruin the lives of the victims.
The best example is the infamous case of stepfather raped his a minor girl and another case is of that (L) Kh Catherine (15) (a class X student at Chandel district’s St Paul High School), who found dead with her throat slit at Lai Lam Thokpam Ching hillock of Sekmai Ningthou and Nongpok Ningthou under Tengnoupal Police Station.
Apart from rape and molestation, children in our society are prone to various forms of exploitation like trafficking, child soldier, murder, displacement, suicide etc.
Here is a data of child rights violation in the Manipur (Sept. 2011 -25 Sept, 2012)
| Total numbers of victims | Categories | Status |
| 895 children | a) Rape-11b) Trafficking-38c) Murder-9
d) Suicide- e) Others (Bomb blast, kidnapping, attempt to suicide, abandoned)-7 f) Displacement; 1) Loktak Phumdee hut eviction (Nov 15, 2011) -800 (out of it 500 are school going children) 2) Lamphel Yaipha Leikai eviction (June 6, 2011)-20
|
a) No of victims murdered- 10b) Trafficking victims rescued-38(26 from Kerala)c) Suspected child solder recruited still untraceable- 5
d) Child solder released/returned- 4 e) Culprit arrested- 12 f) Culprit convicted- no confirmed report g) Culprit abandoning- 06 |
REMEDIAL STEPS:
Education and employment:
In today’s modern society, all the parents and people want their children to be well informed and financially independent. However, some of the parents are unable to send their children to school. Taking the advantage of the helpless situation of parents traffickers allure them with false assurance to provide free education and even job that too outside the state in a reputed institute. Therefore, the first and foremost remedial measure that the state government has to do is to provide education to all the children under 18 of age of Manipur under Right to Education Act.
Counseling:
Some of the rescued trafficking minor victims simply want to return to the place from where NGOs and concerned government departments instead of staying in Manipur without any education, employment and isolated.
In such a situation, the rescued victim children (especially women rape victim) need proper counseling from experts to do away with their sense of isolation and feeling of humiliation from the society. Whereas, concern department and authorities should provide financial helps to the victim children/parents neither they might resorted to wrong path.
Posted: 2012-11-19
Table 2.1: Minimum legal age defined by national legislation:
