Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, APRIL 24
With the aim to spread awareness as well as educate the public on child rights and their importance, the State Child Protection Society of Nagaland (SCPS) conducted a seminar on Child Rights and a Street-to-School-Campaign in Kohima town on Friday.
The daylong program was attended by teachers from various schools in Kohima, media persons, child-line members and student representatives from southern, western, and the northern Angami regions.
Speaking as the resource person, Raitale Zeliang, Programme Officer of SCPS, educated the gathering about the rights and laws stated down by the Government of India, particularly to protect and safeguard children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law.
Valuing children as the hope and future of tomorrow, she underlined the need for a strong child protection system – be it in schools, family and at the village level. She reasoned out that many children were left alone to wonder in the streets because they have no household care and without anybody to guide them.“The National Commission of Protection of Child Rights has initiated the said campaign with the aim to bring those children out in the streets back to the schools. There are every chances that children exploited at early age becomes a liability to the society,” she said.
While mentioning that the Government of India is sincere enough to protect and safeguard children, Raitale urged the public to approach the concerned department as and when necessary, with the hope to bring them to the mainstream life for a better tomorrow.
Further, she educated the gathering on the Integrated Child Protection Scheme, which SCPS is the implementing agency, while she also informed about the functioning of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Juvenile Justice Board which are the competent authority for those children in conflict with law.
She also informed that over 45 Special Juvenile Police units had been established in Nagaland, where five of such falls under Kohima district. To this, she urged the public to approach the juvenile police units as and when they confront with cases related to children in conflict with law.
While educating about the basic rights of children, that is – Right to survival, Right to emotional development, Right to protection, Right to protection against abuse and Right to protection against the neglect, she also made a particular mention on Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO), a new act the central government has stipulated.
Program Officer of the State Adoption Resource Agency, Renchumi, highlighted the activities and guidelines stipulated by the agency.
