DHEMAJI, March 12 - The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in association with the District Child Protection Unit, Dhemaji, recently organised a day-long sensitisation workshop on child rights at the Children Educational and Career Development Centre in Dhemaji College.
The workshop began with lighting of the lamp by ASCPCR chairperson Dr Sunita Changkakati, Dhemaji College Principal Dr Dipak Kumar Neog, and Dhemaji Superintendent of Police Dr Dhananjay Ghanawat.
Addressing the inaugural session, Dhemaji Deputy Commissioner Narsing Pawer emphasised on the importance of organising such programmes on child rights. The inaugural session was addressed by Pradip Kumar Deori, chief executive officer of the Dhemaji Zila Parishad, as a distinguished guest.
The technical session started with a speech by Rajib Kumar Jha, technical consultant at ASCPCR, on the conceptual framework of child rights and an overview of the functioning of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Jha discussed the entire gamut of child rights, including its origin, evolution and history.
Speaking at the technical session, ASCPCR member Dr Pilu Hazarika highlighted the right of children to education. Referring to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, Dr Hazarika said the NCPCR has taken up a series of measures to ensure admission of children in schools all over the country.
She said there will not be any screening of children for admission in the elementary stage of education and all children between the age of six and 14 years shall have the right to free and compulsory elementary education.
She stated that in accordance with Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009, no student can be physically punished in schools. Terming the children as valuable assets of the nation, Dr Hazarika laid stress on taking care of children�s education by teachers and guardians, and creating awareness on the RTE Act.
Kunjalata Bora, a member of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Dhemaji, spoke on child marriages and said it has become a serious problem in Dhemaji district where many minor girls have eloped with underage boys and got married.
Dr Sunita Changkakati elaborated on the problems of child trafficking, child labour, child sexual abuse and illegal adoption. She said many young girls were lured by false promises of love and marriage, and the person they had fallen in love with tried to force them into the sex trade and if they resisted, they were raped and even murdered.
The programme was attended by a number of headmasters and principals of high and higher secondary schools of Dhemaji and presidents of school management and development committees and students of Dhemaji College.
