Mangalore, March 25: Despite bearing a tag of 'the district of educated, awakened and intellectual people', Dakshina Kannada is competing with backward districts of Karnataka in the violation of children's rights, said Dr Nina Nayak, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR).
Speaking at an interaction organised by the Journalists' Study Centre here on Friday, Dr Nayak said that lack of public awareness about the rights of the children is one of the main reasons for the mass violations of children's rights.
She said that she has received as many as 15 complaints of violation of children's rights in the first day of her maiden two day Mangalore visit as the chief of KSCPCR. Apart from this, the Commission has received as many as 24 complaints from the district since July 2009, she said adding that “this number is very less compared to the real number of violations taking place at the ground levels in this coastal district, which are being neglected by all the sides.” The above cases include a brutal rape of a 13 year old Dalit girl and Kavoor police locking up a minor boy in connection with some petty case for a whole night inside the station.
Dr Nayak exhorted the media and youngsters to become more aware and sensitive about the social issues and struggle to fight against the rampant violation of children's rights.
She pointed out that sexual abuse comprises almost 60% of the violation of children's rights in the state, which is a dangerous phenomenon. However, she said that most of such cases go unnoticed as most of the victims hesitate to reveal or hide what happened to them. Parents and guardians of the children too usually don't peruse criminal justice system, in case of violation of children's rights, she pointed out.
She called upon the media to wake up to the realities around them and unhesitatingly report child abuse cases and actively take part in finding solutions to such problems.
Dr Nayak also said that inactiveness of police has also contributed to the rampant violation of children's rights across the state. She informed that the Commission received a complaint from one Abdul Rahman from Bantwal taluk saying that police failed to take any action against those, who had stormed into his house and attacked two minor children.
Dr Nayak also pointed out that the highest number of complaints her Commission received so far was from the education sector. Harsh physical punishment, mental torture, insulting in front of others and unjustifiable demand of fees from children etc amounts to grave violation of the rights, she noted.
Head of Prajna Counselling Centre Hilda Rayappan on the occasion accused the government of failing to release funds to institutions under the Juvenile Justice Act on time. The government expected her to keep 50 children in a single house. “Not a single rupee has reached us even though the year is ending. Rents are sky high, despite that I managed to find two houses. But the government tells me that I should keep them under a single roof. Is that healthy?” she asked. She also said that the government has never shown with regard to the rehabilitation of the children.
Child rights activist Renni D'Souza and Chairperson of Child Welfare Committee Asha Nayak were also present.
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