IMPHAL, March 19: The Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) has strongly condemned the long silence and indifferent attitude of the Social Welfare Department, the Police Department and particularly the State Anti Trafficking Unit, the Ministers concerned and Chief Minister for their even after 8 days of the incident of 51 children rescued in Jaipur while they were being trafficked, which news has been widely publicized in the national and local media.
Speaking to reporters at Hotel Anand Continental today, the Convenor of MACR, K Pradipkumar said the 51 children were kept in an inhuman condition and that around 600 empty liquor bottles were recovered from the two illegal homes called “Grace Home” run by one Jacob John. Pointing out that the chances of sexual and physical abuse of the children were very high, he added that the Nagaland Chief Minister took the matter seriously and responded timely but despite 30 children from Manipur being rescued, there is no official statement the state authority, police, or social welfare department and the Government of Manipur in respect to the repatriation and restoration process is very unfortunate.
He continued that the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) is required to take up a proactive action to make the state responsible to bring back the traumatized children, to provide basic supports to the children including medical, food and cloths. “Surprisingly the Commission neither made any relevant statement nor asserted strong pressure to move the state agencies.The Commission is not actually accessible to general public as it does not have its own office and staff till now,” he said, adding that MACR submitted an urgent appeal on March 18, 2013 to the MCPCR to make sure that the rescued children are brought back to the state at the earliest. But there is no visible response from the Commission till date,” he said.
Appealing to the state authority and all concerned to work on a war footing and bring back the rescued children to the state and restore them safe and sound to their respective families at the earliest, Pradipkumar said that MACR will be compelled to take up various agitations if the Government do not respond positively by March 20, 2013.