Children’s welfare decides country’s future, says Nemcha

IMPHAL | Oct 10

Our future will be doomed without the welfare of our children because they are the happiness and strength of the society and of home, as well as of the future of the country, said Nemcha Kipgen.

The social welfare minister was speaking at the one-day regional consultation on ‘Child Rights – Gaps & Challenges in North Eastern States’ held today at Classic Grande with focus on Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2016.

Delegates from the eight states of Northeast India, participants from various departments of Manipur government, Civil bodies, NGOs were also part of this consultation.

 “Child Rights – Gaps and Challenges in North Eastern States of India’ is indeed a very relevant topic at present” continued Nemcha Kipgen while delivering her presidential speech. 

She drew the attention of the gatherings to pledge for the protection of our children today as without the welfare of the children, there will be no future for the society at large.

Further she opined that every child has the right to information, the right to express his or her views and has the right to be involved in decision making affecting him or her. She urged all the parents and concerned people that children have the right to participate in the family, in schools, at child welfare institutions, orphanages, in the community and at national and international levels, as their active participation in the society has a profound impact on all.

Addressing the gatherings, acting Chief Justice N. Kotiswar said that the law relating to children are evolving slowly and gradually and is taking shape in which various organisations and stakeholder are involved. Various areas and development are taking place related to this. Quoting the poem – ‘On the Seashore’ by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, he drew the attention of all present to preserve the innocence of the children at all cost. It is the sole purpose of all the stakeholders to retain their innocence, he added.

“Members of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJBs) and CWCs need to acquaint themselves with the evolving and developing role relating to child and should developed child friendly nature to work for the welfare of them,” he asserted. He also appealed for co-concerted efforts to various institutions working for the welfare of the children as far as it is related with the issues of the children.

Chairperson, NCPCR, Stuti Kacker lauded Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh for his distinctive knowledge of the problem where children are targeted and expressed that children of Manipur are in safe hands under the dynamic leader like him.

The consultation program which was organised by Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights and sponsored by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights with technical support from Social Welfare Department, Government of Manipur will be followed by a technical session.

The inaugural session of the consultation was attended by acting chief justice of Manipur High Court, N. Kotiswar Singh, social welfare and co-operation minister, Nemcha Kipgen, chairperson, national commission for protection of child rights (NCPCR), Stuti Kacker, Member, NSPCR, Yashwant Jain, chairperson, (MCPCR), Sumatibala Ningthoujam, commissioner of social welfare, government of Manipur, H. Deleep Singh, as chief guest, president and guests of honour, respectively.