‘Child protection is about protecting children from danger to their life’

[caption id="attachment_237307" align="aligncenter" width="565"] Noke Wangna addressing the gathering at the first state-level consultative meet in Kohima on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.[/caption] Our Correspondent Kohima, March 6 (EMN): The first state-level consultative meet on effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and protection of children) Act, 2015 was conducted at Hotel Japfü, Kohima, on Wednesday. The programme, which will be organised annually, aims at creating a platform where all the stakeholders of child rights can come together to share their concerns, ideas and get to know each other. “As the stakeholders of child rights and protection, we are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of one of the most important assets of our nation, that is the children,” said advisor of the Social Welfare, Noke Wangna, who was the guest of honour for the event. He urged all the participants to work together as a member of one body and encouraged them to join “hands, heads, and hearts” to achieve and contribute more for the future generation. Secretary of the Social Welfare department and Chairman to the Child Protection Services, Sara R Ritse in her keynote address said the meet envisaged at convergence, coordination, and networking among various stakeholders to provide effective services for children at all administrative levels. She explained that “child protection is about protecting children from or against any perceived or real danger or risk to their life; their personhood and childhood. It is about reducing their vulnerability to any kind of harm and ensuring that no child falls out of the safety net; and that those who do, receive necessary care, protection and support so as to bring them back into the safety net.” Highlighting all the support from the Ministry of Women and Child Development and state government, she urged the stakeholders to extend their help in all possible ways. She also encouraged them to be pro-active; come forward and share their ideas instead of waiting for the department to come after them. In order to reach out to all children, particularly to those in difficult circumstances, it requires effort from everyone; it is ‘a primary responsibility of the family, supported by community, government and civil society,’ said Ritse and urged all the stakeholders to play effective role to protect children. There are several governmental and non-governmental organisations working for child rights and protection, she added. Director of Social Welfare department T Merangtsungba Aier informed that Nagaland is one of the first states in Northeast and third in India to embrace the Integrated Child Protection Scheme, now known as the Child Protection Services. He assured that proper infrastructure and services in regard to the child protection will be executed at “entire district level”. At present there are more than 350 staff working under the scheme and is growing, he added. Some of the departments and agencies working for the welfare of children include labour (implementing scheme related to child labour); police (implementing project like Muskaan for missing children); State Resource Centre for Women (schemes like Beti Bachao Beti padha); Childline – 1098 (emergency helpline for children in distress); and non-governmental organisations running child care institutions for the orphaned, abandoned and destitute children. “In our own ways we are all contributing for the welfare of the children. However, the working style of each organisation, agency and department is different from the other, and we often function in isolation,” said Aier. The afternoon session witnessed presentations by various agencies and discussions among the stakeholders. The programme was organised by the State Child Protection Services, department of Social Welfare, Kohima.