Dimapur, June 2 (EMN): A seminar about child rights and child adoption organised by a Sumi women organisation, the Western Sümi Totimi Hoho (WSTH), has culminated.
The organisation issued a press release to the media on Sunday informing about the event.
The WSTH organised a 'month-long seminar' on said topics. The updates informed that the programme culminated on June 1 at Hovishe village in Niuland of Dimapur.
The organisation took the initiative to educate the people about various child rights and about the "rightful ways" to adopt a child, the updates stated.
The first speaker of the last day of the seminar was Vilito Achumi, information and publicity of the WSTH. She spoke about the aims of the organisation.
"She thanked the pioneers and leaders who took the initiative to stage a platform for the Sümi women as if it weren’t for them than the WSTH wouldn’t be able to work for the welfare of the people," the press release stated. “There are many well qualified and knowledgeable women in our society who are willing to work for the society but people often tend to ignore those people and so the hoho has been working with the aim of inclusiveness and including every eligible Sümi women in the group,” Achumi said.
Achumi said that the organisation had been touring its units and areas to "check their progress and work and to bring everyone under one common umbrella and work together for the welfare of the society in general end the Sümi women in particular."
Achumi urged the gathering to give due importance to culture, traditional attires and dialects as 'today’s generation is moving away from the customs and traditions.' The general secretary of the WSTH, Holi Chophy, spoke on the theme of the seminar.
"In our society when a child reaches 14 years we regard him or her as an adult but in reality person below 18 years is a child," the updates stated.
"Pointing out that among the world population of 7.7 billion there are 1.8 billion children, 144 lakhs children in India out of 136 crore total population and 265 million children are engaged in labour works, the GS lamented that every child is important and their rights should be protect accordingly."
Chophy told the gathering that the government was implementing various rights and child protection Acts to safeguard and protect their interest and rights.
The statutes include Article 14 of the Fundamental Rights which provides for equal rights for an adult and a child, the speaker said.
“Most adult compromise the rights of children and do not take their views into account but by doing so we are cutting of their voice and rights,” she said.
Speaking on child abuse, Chophy said abusing was not confined only to physical abuse but also mentally, emotionally and sexually. She urged the participants to be particularly aware of their children’s whereabouts as there had been increasing cases of crimes of abducting children and 'selling them for prostitution work' or for their organs to be sold.
“In every 15 minutes there is a child been raped. Among rape cases 95 percent are done by those whom we know,” she said. Chophy asked the gathering to teach their children to differentiate "bad touch and good touch" so that the child can differentiate between good and bad behaviour or conduct.
On child adoption, the speaker urged the people to adopt children 'in legal ways' so that they can enjoy equal rights and privileges which a biological child enjoys.
The reason is, she said, adopting a child means giving life to the child.
