CHILD means a person who has not completed the age of eighteen(18) years. Child protection refers to the protection of children form exploitation, abuse, neglect and violence. The Child rights of India fall within the definition made by the United Nation on the United Nation Convention on rights of the child, regardless of sex, religion, birth status, etc. Children are delicate, innocent and dependent. They are not capable of making right decision. They need good support from their family and society. Children occupy an important portion of every society or population. The future on nation highly depend upon the level of care being provided to its children who are sensitive and receptive.
Actually children are the future, the builders of the nation and everyone has equal responsibility to contribute to their all round development. Child Rights are a set of principles and ideals. Child protection is not only a treatment but also should be preventive. Child protection means through which all other rights of a child can be uphold. Child protection is about ensuring that children have a security to depend on, and if they happened to fall through the holes in the system.
The system has the responsibility to provide the child with the necessary care and rehabilitation to bring them back into the safety. The role of the state is important for child protection. In order to ensure that child’s well being and superior interest the state must established a protection system for the child. An effective system includes Laws, Policies, Procedures and Practices intended to prevent and fight against various problems of mistreatment, violence and discrimination that can damage a child’ well being. It is important to be fully aware of all the rights/laws related to child and seek legal support if justice is not being meted out.
If a child experience any form of violation whether physical or mental abuse, we should aware them to report to their teacher if they are in schools or to their parents to officially file a complaint where we can seek assistance of organisation like the Child line foundation of India which is a nodal agency of Union Ministry of Women and Child Development . In Nagaland, the Childline services is operative in Dimapur, Kohima since 2011 and 2015 respectively. The very aim of the childline services is to reach out to every child who is in need of care and protection by responding the Toll Free No. “1098”. It is 24×7 emergency out reach services for children in need of care and protection, it deal with missing children, child abused, runaway children, children in need of medical assistance, domestic child labour, traffic children, etc. with the main object to reach out to the most marginalized children and provide shelter, rescues, medical aid and long term services. Even in Nagaland, children are being exploited from one district to another and eventually children become victims in the hands of the adults being as a domestic helper. It is our social responsibility to take care of the children and protect their rights. It is important that even the churches to have on faith based organisation to protect a child and to safeguard their rights. Also schools and colleges and the tribal organisation are to play a key role in creating awareness in all parts of the district.
In Nagaland, the most challenging concern in our state is the rampant crime against children and women in the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape and murder. According to a survey there are over 9,000 child labourers engaged in various work across the 11 district headquarters town who are working for about 16 hours a day deprieved of proper accommodation, food and education. Another problem is human trafficking and child labour. The President of Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation(NVCO) & Convenor ACAUT Nagaland(legal cell) Kezhokhoto Savi said that the Government of Nagaland particularly the department of Social Welfare is therefore assigned with the task of implementing schemes which aimed at the upliftment of the vulnerable and the weaker sections including the disabled, the aged and children. Some of its schemes for the welfare of children are; a) integrated child development services(ICDS), b) supplementary nutrition programme, c) children in need of care and protection & d) prevention and control of juvenile social maladjustment.
In Nagaland the project for quality education for differently-abled children in North East region is also programme under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan(SSA) on inclusive education to improve the quality of education for children with disabilities. Protection allows children to have access to their rights of survival, development growth and participation, when child protection fails or is absent children have a higher risk of death, poor physical and mental health, educational problems, displacement, homeless and poor parenting skills later in life. The task towards child protection, we must engage not just government but also members of society. The standard and principles articulated in the Convention or legislature can only become a reality when they are respected by everyone within the family, in schools and other institutions that provide services for children. Understanding the importance that every child is an asset, let us all create a healthy environment for better tomorrow and we all have parts to play for shaping the future of our children in proper way.
Kezhokhoto Savi
