Assam: Media orientation programme on child protection concludes

KOKRAJHAR: The two-day media orientation workshop on child protection with the theme ‘Role of media in creating protective environment for BTR’s children’ at Bodoland Guest House, Kokrajhar, organized by the Centre for Development and Peace Studies, an NGO based in Guwahati, concluded on Tuesday. Opinions of NGO activists and media persons on trafficking and sexual abuse were shared in the workshop.

Sharing his 20 years’ experience on trafficking issues, the chairperson of Nedan Foundation, Digambar Narzary said trafficking was a major cause of concern in BTC districts where literacy rate was low, especially in the rural areas. He said they had been working in more than 200 forest villages of Kokrajhar and Chirang districts where people like Adivasis and Bodos are educationally backward. There had been trans-border and inter-state cross border trafficking cases in the districts but most of the trafficking cases are unnoticed for different reasons and traffickers were well organized. He said the NGO started awareness programmes on trafficking and Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) to check the trafficking. He also said illiterate parents, poor economy and lack of jobs made the rural youths vulnerable to trafficking.

Narzary said the present BTC government had taken some significant steps to address the problems. The Right to Education Act was not properly implemented in forest areas but now the present government has decided to provincialize more than 1,000 primary schools of BTR along with appointment of teachers, he said, adding that the BTC government has established counselling centres in each district to address the problems and through ‘Gyan Swrang Bithangkhi’, the meritorious students of poor families are being given financial incentive and free coaching for pursuing higher studies. He also said the ‘School Adoption Programme’ and ‘UN Brahma Super-50’ for Engineering, Medical and Civil Service aspirants were inclusive missions of the present government.

Mrinali Hasdda (name changed), a trafficking survivor-turned-NGO activist said illiteracy was the main reason behind the violation of child rights. After being rescued from the clutches of traffickers by Nedan NGO, she was brought back home, stayed at a shelter home and started working with the NGO after which she dedicated herself to create awareness among people. She said the traffickers set their target on children of economically poor families and illiteracy. They offer jobs with handsome salaries and thus the youths get trapped in their net and are lured away to other states. She said they have started Youth Clubs in the villages from where they collect data of trafficking, child marriage and other issues to report to CWC (Child Welfare Committee).

BTC Chief Executive Member Pramod Boro on Monday said the government of BTR had started many flagship programmes not only for children but for the youths, women and students as well as for the underprivileged section of people of the region. He said the government of BTR proposed to start operation of toll-free numbers after August 15 where people can inform about any problem they face and will find out the ways for a solution. He said, “We are looking for child labour free Bodoland and action in this regard has started. When I was an activist of the student body, we lacked faith in government officers in taking proactive measures to address related problems but now being part of the government, I will listen to the problems carefully to address it with collective responsibility.”

The technical sessions of the workshop were also addressed by Madhulika Janardhan, Child Protection Specialist of UNICEF, Deba Kr. Kalita, chairperson of Assam State Protection of Child Rights (ASPCR), Digambar Narzary, chairperson of Nedan Foundation NGO, Kokrajhar, Laxminarayan Nanda, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF and Mongli Hasda, trafficking survivor of Kokrajhar.

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