Mounting pressure on UP state government to set up Child Protection Unit

Mounting pressure on UP state government to set up Child Protection Unit

The fight for child rights got a fillip with a the media fraternity in Lucknow joining hands with Saaksham Foundation, an organization addressing violations of child rights in Uttar Pradesh, to fight for the rights of child facing inhuman attacks. Journalists from all the leading news papers in the city including The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, Dainik Hindustan, The Indian Express, The Pioneer, Aaj Tak and Times Now gave their support to the petition to setup a Child Protection Unit in the state.

It is noteworthy here that as per the Juvenile Justice Act 2006 amendment it is mandatory to set up social police to address cases related to children. Furthermore as per National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Directions and Guidelines a social police station and a child friendly police personnel is a must in every state. But UP as of now has none.

In a jointly signed petition that demanded setting up a Child Protection Unit in the State to address the increasing numbers of brutal attacks on children, scribes and the social organization also sought the provision of child friendly police station and police personnel.

The petition has been submitted to Additional Cabinet Secretary Vijay Shanker Pandey and to the Chief Minister's office on December 8. On receiving the petition and going through the contents Mr Pandey expressed his concern over the issue and assured the Director of Saaksham Foundation that he will be looking into the matter and also call a meeting on the issue of seting up a Child Protection Unit in UP soon.

A copy of the petition was also handed over to UPCC Chief Rita Bahuguna, on December 6 at the Congress Party office. She promised her full support to the issue and also said that she would hand over the petition campaigning for the cause of protection of children to Rahul Gandhi on his visit to the state capital on December 8.

Ms Shantha Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was also given a copy of the petition on December 8 when she was in town to attend a State Level consultation on the Right To Education Act. She expressed her concern over the fact that children were being subjected to such brutal attacks and said she will take up the matter strongly and also expedite the process of setting up a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in UP.

Anjali Singh
(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and also the Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: anjali@citizen-news.org)


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