A campaign on preventing and combating child trafficking in 100 bordering and adjoining districts of India was today organised in Khliehriat.
Organised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in collaboration with the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights the campaign was held in at the Conference Hall of the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Additional Deputy Commissioner J.U Kharpuri in her opening remarks spoke on the importance of the subject of combating child trafficking and sought the unequivocal attention and co-operation of key stakeholders including the police, other state government officials, community leaders, educational institutions and others in preventing and combating trafficking of children.
Resource Person of the programme, Sub Inspector Opaia Tyngkan highlighted on the various rights of children as enshrined in the Constitution and also spoke on the different constitutional and legal mechanisms made available to contain child trafficking including the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2006, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO)Act, 2012, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 etc.
She also dwelt at length on the causes of child trafficking and further highlighted on the statistics concerning human trafficking in general and child trafficking in particular and informed that human trafficking is the third fastest growing organized crime next to illegal drugs and weapons trafficking.
Tyngkan also enlightened the gathering on the complaint mechanism in child trafficking cases, the response system in trafficking as also strategies for prevention of child trafficking.
Assistant Commissioner F. Wann, officials representing the Police, Social Welfare, Health, Education and Labour Departments, members of the district Child Welfare Committee, traditional heads, school principals, teachers and others attended the programme.
