IMPHAL, Dec 30: The Coalition on Children’s Rights to Protection (CCRP), Manipur has drawn the attention of the Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh for immediate intervention and to deliver justice in the recent incident of grave violation of child rights in Manipur.
In this regard an official representations was submitted to the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh by the CCRP recently on December 28, mentioning the reports of findings made by the organisation relating to the recent incidents of child right violations particularly in two of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) located in Manipur which need interventions from the National Commission of Child Rights in Manipur.
The official representations of CCRP, Manipur also recalled that, on November 29, last month deceased Chingakham Brington Singh 17, son of Ch Ibohal Singh of Kakching Makha Leikai Naodam Pareng of Thoubal district, a student of class-XII committed suicide and Kshetrimayum Ghanapriya Devi, 17, daughter of Ksh. Memcha Devi of Kakching Khunou Leikai, Cooperative Pareng Thoubal district, of the same class is under mental trauma after having been humiliated and mentally harassed by the school authorities of JNV, Umathel near Kakching Khunou, Thoubal district. Yet in another case of police brutality involving JNV students of Class-XI &XII of JNV, Khumbong, Imphal West district in which the students were allegedly canned by police in the school campus on the night of December 5 last.
The representation further mentioned that, the above cases occurring within a week involving two JNVs located in the state is an alarming trend and Coalition on Children’s Right to Protect (CCRP), Manipur is unduly concerned and immediately carried out two fact finding missions in the two JNVs for cases of violation of child rights by the school authorities and state police.
The official representations of CCRP, Manipur has also enclosed the reports of their recent findings to the cases and it observed that the way the school authorities had handled the cases irresponsibly and non child friendly. Since the school authorities failed to cross verify the facts of the incident or the explanations from the eyewitnesses on the issues of two students of JNV Umathel they are responsible for the unfortunate suicide committed by the humiliated student. In the other case of JNV Khumbong, instead of proper enquiry into the incident, the police behaved in a brutal way of physical and mental harassment to the students of JNV Khumbong. These are the vivid examples of child rights violation in the schools. The Dignity and self respect of the students were seriously hurt by the attitudes of the school authorities and state police.
After explaining all the facts, the official representation of the CCRP made their submissions that, the above cases are clear incidents of child right violations which gravely undermine the dignity, self respect, sentiment and emotion of the children and requested CM to intervene in the JNV Umathel suicide case and police brutality to the students of JNV Khumbong. Stern action is requested to deliver justice to the bereaved families of the boy and the traumatized girl student and also the humiliated and brutalized students of JNV Khumbong, so that such incidents of child right violations are not repeated in future.
Further the official representation has also drawn the attention of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh to take up necessary action as per the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) guidelines on prohibiting corporal punishment and also the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s guidelines, and ruling of Supreme Court (December 1, 2000) banning the corporal punishment. And it has further urged and proposed the government to give directions to all concerned authorities including educational institutions that a Child Rights Cell should be set up in every school so that the children could lodge their complaints with facilities of Child Counseling and finally requested the Chief Minister of the state to set up State Commission for Protection of Child Rights without further delay. This is in view of the increasing trend of child right violations in the state including child trafficking, child labour, child soldier, child abuse, atrocities to children living with HIV/AIDS, the official representation of CCRP, Manipur added.
