Assam, Nagaland’s stakeholders draw plans to ease destitute children’s misery

EMN
Dimapur, June 13

A recent conclave between community stakeholders and local government authorities of Karbi Anglong in Assam and Dimapur district in Nagaland has suggested a number of proactive measures to ensure that children from either side do not suffer from destitution.
The plans include spreading information by stakeholder to village communities, forming district task forces in Assam and Nagaland, forming common mechanisms to work together on programs and setting up more efficient shelter homes for children in need of care and protection.An Interstate consultation of stakeholders about instating a trans-border mechanism for the protection of child rights was conducted in the police conference hall of Bokajan, in Assam, on June 12. The event was conducted with the theme, ‘no to child labor, yes to quality education’.
Deputy Commissioner of Police of Dimapur Dr. KPA llyas, and K Ela, director of Childline were the main resource persons for the event.
In his discourse, Dr. KPA Ilyas talked about the various legislations and acts currently in effect in the country for children. The acts that he focused on were the JJA, Sarda Act of 1929, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, the IPC, Factories Act, and Right to Education Ac t and the POCSO.
In here discourse, K Ela talked about the current condition of destitute children in Dimapur of Nagaland and Karbi Anglong of Assam. She also pointed out that there were many anti social activities in the society because the community as a whole had failed to protect child.
Poverty is also a major concern in the border areas, she said. The government and the department in concern must make use of available schemes to run shelter homes for children so that even if the rescued child’s family are untraced, the child in question would at least have the chance to grow up in own native communities. That way, Ela said, his identity would be retained as a member of the native community.
‘Many children’s rights are being violated their parents, children are forcefully made to work as domestic helper rather than sending them to school,’ she said. ‘These children never get to enjoy their childhood’.
During the conclave, the stakeholders and local government mechanisms made a number of recommendations:
• Police should check inter-border ‘transfer’ of children.
• Do away with gender discrimination and treat the girl child as a future citizen
• Make girls’ education a priority for all parents
• Village council check children going out from their villages. Sub divisional police officer of Bokajan Dr. Manabendra Gogoi, Labor Commissioner of the Government of Nagaland, Nungshiyanger, and Additional Superintendent of Police of Karbi Anglong Nanda Singh also spoke during the occasion specifying issues of child labor.
During the conclave, a number of ‘action plans’ were drawn up. They are:
• Creating more ‘awareness’ and spreading them by stakeholders to the village communities
• Forming district task forces in Karbi Anglong and Dimapur, in Assam and Nagaland in that order, at the earliest
• Forming a coordinated team for further consultation and working together on programs to monitor children-related issues
• Setting up more efficient shelter homes for children in need of care and protection
The conclave was conducted in commemoration of World Day against Child Labor, and organized by a nongovernmental organization, ACID, in partnership with another nongovernmental organization, Childline, of Dimapur; Nagaland Police, District child protection Unit of Dimapur, and the department of Labor of the government of Nagaland.
The Karbi Anglong Police of the government of Assam hosted the event.
Officials of the police department, Labour department, district administration, district child protection units and community organizations from both Karbi Anglong in Assam and Dimapur in Nagaland attended the event.