Malerkotla MC ‘fails’ to take note of child rights violation

Mahesh Sharma

Malerkotla, July 22

Guidelines of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Protection of Child Rights Act are being violated with impunity in Malerkotla.

Organisers of political rallies and events held during the recent Lok Sabha elections exploited children to raise slogans and carry flags of the outfits. Local leaders recorded videos of the children and made them go viral to win sympathy of the people. Several schools have also been uploading pictures of students on social media.

Babita, Legal-cum-Probation Officer holding the charge of District Child Protection Officer, Malerkotla, acknowledged that several laws were in force which protected the rights of children from being exploited by the organisers and educational institutes.

Babita said action would be taken as per the instructions of the State Child Right Protection Commission, if any complaint or information about exploitation of children during the protests, rallies and other functions was received.

NGOs claiming to be working for the rights of women and children were also participating in these events and were silent spectators to the violations.

The regional leaders of rival parties were organising protests and rallies for reportedly highlighting the indifferent attitude of the civic bodies towards providing basic amenities.

Oblivious of the consequences, the organisers of protest events, including councillors, continued inviting children to various localities falling under Amargarh, Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh subdivisions. The civic bodies too failed to take note of the children protesting on their premises.

Earlier, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had taken note of the complaints about the videos showing children participating in the protests against the Citizen Amendment Act at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi and written to the District Magistrate concerned expressing apprehensions that such events could result in mental trauma among children .

In still another case, NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo sought an action-taken report from Nainital District Magistrate in connection with the participation of children in protests in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani against their eviction from their homes.