CHILD RIGHTS... LAWS EXIST BUT NEEDS TO BE REALIZED AND EXECUTED

India has always recognized the category of persons below the age of 18 years as distinct legal entity. Moreover, after ratifying the UNCRC in 1992, India changed its law on juvenile justice to ensure that every person below the age of 18 years, who is in need of care and protection, is entitled to receive it from the State.

Children need special attention since children are more vulnerable than adults to the conditions under which they live hence they are more affected than any other age group by the actions and inaction of the society. In most societies, views persist that children are their parent’s property, or are adults in the making. Children are not seen as people who have a mind of their own, a view to express, the capacity to make a choice and an ability to decide. Instead of being guided by adults, their life is decided by adults.  Children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

Four sets of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights which are Survival, Protection, Development and Participation.

Right to Survival includes: Right to life, the highest attainable standard of health, nutrition, adequate standard of living and a name and a nationality.

Right to Development includes: Right to education, support for early childhood care and development, social security, right to leisure, recreation and cultural activities.

Right to Protection includes freedom from all forms of exploitation, abuse, inhuman or degrading treatment and neglect.

Right to Participation includes; Respect for the views of the child, freedom of expression, access to appropriate information, freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

All rights are dependent on each other and are indivisible. However, because of their nature all rights are divided into:

Immediate Rights (Civil and Political Rights) which include such things as discrimination, punishment, right to a fair hearing in criminal cases and a separate system of juvenile justice, right to life, right to nationality, right to re-unification with the family. Most protection rights fall within the category of immediate rights and therefore demand immediate attention and intervention.

Progressive Rights (Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), which include health and education and the rights that are not covered by the first category.

Child Rights Introduction...

Human rights apply to all age groups; children have the same general human rights as adults. In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention just for them because people under 18 years old often need special care and protection that adults do not. The leaders also wanted to make sure that the world recognized that children have human rights too. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights, including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.

In India the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, an Act of Parliament (December 2005). The Commission's Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Child is defined as a person in the 0 to 18 years age group.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights that must be realized for children to develop their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. It reflects a new vision of the child. Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing children's rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child.

Despite the existence of rights, children suffer from poverty, homelessness, abuse, neglect, preventable diseases, unequal access to education and justice systems that do not recognize their special needs. These are problems that occur in both industrialized and developing countries.

The Commission visualises a rights-based perspective flowing into National Policies and Programmes, along with nuanced responses at the State, District and Block levels, taking care of specificities and strengths of each region. In order to touch every child, it seeks a deeper penetration to communities and households and expects that the ground experiences gathered at the field are taken into consideration by all the authorities at the higher level. Thus the Commission sees an indispensable role for the State, sound institution-building processes, respect for decentralization at   the  local  bodies  and  community level and larger societal concern for children and their well-being.

IMMUNIZATION FOR CHILDREN

Immunization is their birth right and they shall have it!!

Have you immunized your child yet? The question echoes like a riposte to a prayer. Immunization is the subject that conjures heated debate as to their efficacy, safety and reliability. A focal point that still remains is whether to immunize or not? 

These days an anti-vaccination upsurge has formed and many believe that immunizing children does more damage than good. Mindless, pointless, senseless, I must say!! Look at the epidemics of infectious diseases. They are spreading like demons. Look at the increasing number of child infanticide in India. Hopeless, shameful!!

Immunization should be designated as the most obvious advantage of all. Keeping your child nontoxic from all the life threatening illnesses is the prime reason why you should opt for vaccinations at first place. The long term health of your child is vital than any other factor.

Besides, as a good citizen I would like to emphasize a point. Although, physicians do educate parents regarding childhood infectious diseases and the vaccines against them, they should let the parents make their own decisions with or without their own personal bias or opinions. The pros and cons of childhood immunization are numerous, but an informed immunization is always an optimal decision.

Parents, in turn, should also assess certain benchmarks before a decision is made:

1.      What is the child's health history and present health status?

2.      What is the threat or possibility of the child getting the disease?

3.      What are the significances of the natural infection if contracted?

4.      How harmless is the serum that is available?

5.      Is the protection provided by the serum solid and long-lasting?

6.      Will the vaccine influence the apposite immune system?

7.       Is the route of vaccine administration compatible with the route of natural infection?

Vaccinations are proved to be the number one catalyst for the control of childhood diseases. However, the rural underprivileged child is still far from this ecstasy. Doctors have found it difficult to educate rural parents who believe that vaccination is a violation of their human rights. They do not wish to be forced into a decision that goes against their personal belief. Aren’t they putting their child at risk by depriving off their birth right?

Think India…..Think!

SAYALI PARAB

CHILD TRAFFICKING

Child Trafficking, Methods and its evils

Child Trafficking is a heinous crime and seriously deprives of their innocent childhood and their basic rights.
On most occasions, the trafficked children are found to be sold to brothels in major metros and cities in India, as commercial sexual workers. Most of the time, trafficking takes place under the following pretext:
1) Giving lucrative offers of jobs in big cities
2) Parents’ inability to pay debts making them give their children as repayment
3) False Marriages
4) Trick parents and children into false promises

They are made to live in a highly unhygienic environment and often are brutally treated by the brothel owners, clients, pimps, etc. Needless to say, they are deprived of education, health and freedom.
Sometimes trafficking is done to provide labour for industries or homes. Even in such conditions, the children are made to face severe unhygienic situations in factories/workshops which may affect their health or get involved in accidents. Some are employed to work as house helps, made to work in bad environments, not given enough food and often subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Some are even sexually exploited by their masters.
For most of these children, it’s a very traumatic experience. They have no idea where they are, they are not sure if they will get back home and they are treated like slaves, without freedom. Such mental agony leads to a highly depressed and disturbed individual with low confidence and self-esteem, when they grow up.

Salma, hailing from the village of Kunuri, narrates he tragic experience of being a victim of trafficking in Punjab. She said that an agent visited her house and promised a job in Delhi. On reaching Delhi, she was sold off to an affluent family.

Anita, from Chhattisgarh, had been missing since last 5 years. Her father says, she has gone to a neighbouring village and did not return yet. Later, he got to know that she been taken to Mumbai by unidentified people. Chances are that she might have been subjected to prostitution or slavery.

A lot of such children are yet to be accounted for. India still remains a sensitive regions in child trafficking.

EVILS AGAINST GIRL CHILD

Vicious Evils of Society plaguing the Girl child     

Children subjected to exploitation like prostitution, child labour often belong to families who are the poorest of poor and very vulnerable and at risk of exploitation in some way or the other. If the family is identified correctly, one may find some history associated with the family in terms of drug abuse, violence, child abuse etc.

Such children leave their families due to unrest or conflicts in the family. They make an attempt to survive on their own by doing any tasks and chores for a living for their family. Poverty cannot be attributed as the only reason for subjecting a child to prostitution. Some inhuman fathers even trade their children (daughters) for alcohol and drugs. Some of the parents are caring, but are helpless and
ignore the fact that their child has been forced in the flesh trade, where as some are tricked into doing it.

The Indian society tends to look at the girl child as an onus; the best way to get rid of it is getting her married off. Due to this attitude, often, the education and health areas of a girl child are ignored. Most families do not invest sufficient money, energy, time or other resources for the development of the girl child, especially so in the rural areas. Due to this, most girls end up doing household chores, working as labourers with parents, looking after younger siblings, etc.
Also, cultural/social evils like child marriages tend to hold back the development of the girl child and often get pulled into sexual exploitation and abuse as a minor.

Indian social beliefs, especially in rural India, coupled with male dominance in society make it even more difficult to rehabilitate the exploited girl. This further reduces her future prospects, since they are not easily embraced by society, let alone for marriage.

It is imperative that the social/cultural scenario with the girl child changes immediately. It is necessary to impart high-quality socio-cultural education to correct the daunting situation.


SAYALI PARAB

DRUG ABUSE

It’s not about cannabis or opium anymore: (child right to care and protection)

At some point of time we have seen a sight of small street children rolling weeds in night-time, catching a corner at shady places slipping away from police patrolling. Lost youngsters using drugs or child beggars using drugs may add to the category, but there are cases where children are wholly and chastely into drugs.

Peer pressure and environment around lure the children to imitate the same. Children caught consuming and dealing drugs are hooked under Juvenile Justice Act. Why exactly do these children fall into drug abuse? Minors consuming drugs usually belonged to families not finally sound, one parents children, peer pressure, child abuse or forced drugging for begging and other criminal conspiracies.  Poor children are more likely to fall prey to drugs. Small kids inhale ink to get a kick as they have very few options to seek pressure. Prince from Rasulpur Saidan village in Patiala district, where more than 24 minor boys, in the age group of nine to 10 years, are "hard-core" drug addicts. Drastic actions are needed besides corrective steps to safeguard that the purity of minors is not stolen by drugs.

A recent story which broke out on Facebook, a man posted real time story about child drug abuse. The story read, he saw a woman with a child begging on streets near subway. He came in contact with the woman on daily basis. Later when he observed that the lady carrying child was always sleeping, he confronted the lady. She was perplexed and left without answer. When peeped into the matter it was exposed that the child was drugged every 3 hours. To add on the child was a victim of trafficking.

Instead of persecuting the drug addict, the drugs itself should be shunned. Child is not bad it’s the drug. Prime Minister Nadrendra modi has put stress on the drug addiction scenario leading to destruction on a massive scale through Maan ki Baat on All India Radio. At civic level, Ngo’s, religious groups, parents and teachers can provide psychotherapy and provide drug preclusion knowledge. 

CHILD ABUSE AT HOME

Dangers lurking at home

Homes are heaven for children where they feel safe and loved under the shield of their parents. The world maybe evil, but the child believes home is where his feelings and interests will be considered and respected lifelong.  In early age children are the reflection of their parents. They walk on the path as their parents, grasps and learn things from home. Home is the chief school. The child molds its character according to the environment generated.

But what if danger for children is lurking at home itself? The child grows up in a violent and negative environment and shapes himself in the same way. This can be substantiated treacherous as the child may suffer emotional damage or rise up in viciousness being a delinquent juvenile.

A substantial rise in reports and registration of the case of incest rape, the National crime data divulges and confirms the trend that majority of the victims are minors. The statistics available on domestic violence and other forms of violence against women are startling. Our long cherished norms of home being safe place for children are worn-out, the world outside is where they walk in peril from strangers.

Fathers are the breadwinner, who safeguard the honor of the house, although will some fathers and other family members continue abuse their children?  Negative tables are turning up with regularity—a father beating up his daughter to death publicly in Karachi for not making round chapattis. Parent’s role is guiding their children and improving them when erroneous. Beating up a child for not making a round chapatti is paramount explains of child abuse costing death of minors for puerile reason. For some children the 

Cinderella story turns true where step-parents beat up children black and blue, burning with cigarettes or not taking care of their welfare.  They “harm through omission,” states to a disappointment to provide the child with satisfactory nourishment, apparel, housing, schooling, supervision or health care, providing the parent or guardian is financially sound.

We have child right against violence for protection for children. But this is not ideal. Education and information of rights in early age should be mandatory for child to fight back or seek help as much as possible then comportment the daily ferocity.  Child can also seek help from JJB. 

SAYALI PARAB