Book released during the Civil Society Leaders Meet held at St. Joseph’s Church Hall, Panbazar.
Dr Shyamal Prasad Saikia IPS (rtd), the Chairperson of Assam Child Rights Protection Commission (ASCPCR) highlighted the various Child Protection issues in Assam in his speech as Chief Guest at the Civil Society Leaders Meet organized by Snehalaya on April 30 at Don Bosco Campus , Guwahati, as a part of its efforts to make Guwahati a Child Friendly City while commemorating 25 years of Juvenile Justice services in India.
He said that the State Government headed by Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to make Assam Child Marriage Free by 2026. He also pointed out the need to fight child labour and child abuse physical, emotional and sexual. Fr Sebastian Kurichiel SDB the Head of Don Bosco Society, and Madam Tarali Das, the Additional Member Secretary of Assam State Child Protection Society (ASCPS) spoke about the need to fight these child protection issues jointly by the Government agencies and Civil Society Organizations like Snehalaya, SOS and others. Fr Lukose Cheruvalel SDB, the founder of Snehalaya and its Director, encouraged all to join hands to promote child rights in the family, the neighbourhood, in the schools and at the administrative level of juvenile Justices services.
Dr Saikia felicitated the 60 successful HSLC candidates from Snehalaya-CFG. He also released the Annual Report of Snehalaya. The Children of Jyoti Snehalaya performed a Prayer Dance.
The alternative care systems like adoption and foster care were explained by Ms Anamika Sharma to an audience of about 150 civil society and NGO representatives. Ms Alokita Baruah of Aid Et Action during her session pointed out that in the Juvenile Justice services, the present trend is to emphasis Family Responsibility as well as the principle which states that institutional care of children in need of care and protection, and children in conflict with the law is the last resort. The norm must be family and community based care like adoption and foster care, and institutional care an exception.
During the Panel Discussion that concluded the Meet, the District level NGO Network called EKTA Juvenile Justice was re-launched for sharing best practices and for learning from each other . Assam Don Bosco University has agreed to undertake a study of the educational and socio-economic situation, and vulnerability levels of children who were socially reintegrated by the reunion with their families during the last 2 or 3 years.
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