Crimes Against Children Rising in Nagaland

Dimapur, Oct 25 : Despite the rise of crimes against children very little has been done to ensure child protection in Nagaland. Lack of services and non-availability of statistics on children has further intensified the gaps in this area.

While loopholes have been identified in the implementing process, affected children are at the receiving end with no adequate facilities to give them the required protection. This has also highlighted the absence of full time NGOs dedicated to the cause of children’s welfare in the State.

Speaking on child abuse, Director of Community Education Centre, Sobu pointed out that these children should be kept in a government recognised institution for protection. He expressed concern that there is no strong NGOs in Kohima dealing with child welfare or no full time NGO in the whole of Nagaland apart from NCRC which was only recently formed.

He specifically expressed concern over the lack of rescue homes as these children need care and protection and cannot be kept in a juvenile home or orphanages since they are not criminals but victims.

He lamented that no one has been speaking on child abuse. He stressed that the Department of Social Welfare should take initiative in advocating awareness and look into the welfare of children.

Meanwhile, Additional Director of Social Welfare department Khevito Shohe while admitting that not much importance was given to issues on children said that the recent case of child abuse wherein a 10 year old was physically abused by his employer in Bayavü Colony, Kohima has served as an eye-opener.

He said that concerns were perhaps lacking in this connection because cases of abuse was not known in the State earlier owing to the social stratum of Naga culture and tradition. However, admitting negligence also on the part of the department, he said that efforts are lately being made to give adequate protection to the victimised children.

He informed that a society under the Child Protection Act has newly been established in the department which would be mainly focussing on child counselling. The government is working in collaboration with some orphan homes and schools and pointed out that the children in need of protection would be sheltered in the orphanages for the time being.