Assam: No State for children

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Oct 31: Around 4,754 children have gone missing in Assam in two years, the annual report of the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has stated, highlighting insecurity faced by toddlers in Assam.

The statistics pertain to 2012–2014 (October). The number of missing girls is double that of boys, states the report which was released at an interactive session organized by the commission in collaboration with UNICEF at Kohora in Kaziranga.

Child labour is also on the rise in the State. Against the tiol average of 4.5 per cent, the percentage of population engaged in child labour in the State is around 4.9 per cent. In 15 districts, the rate is even higher.

Though the rate of child marriage in the State is less as compared to the tiol average, in some districts the social malaise has seen an increasing trend.

The percentage of children who marry below the legal age is 40 per cent (tiol average is 43 per cent). However, in districts like Barpeta (54 per cent), Kokrajhar (51 per cent) and Dhubri (49 per cent), it is much higher than the tiol average.

Rape tops the list of crimes committed against children in the State, followed by kidpping.

The juvenile justice delivery system is also not satisfactory. There are 1,835 cases pending with the Juvenile Justice Board, while the Child Welfare Committee is yet to dispose of 439 cases.

Speaking on the occasion, chairperson of the commission Runumi Gogoi highlighted the role media can play to protecting child rights.

She recalled the incident of murder of a child at Tarajuli in Sonitpur district recently.

"The incident was described in the media as a case of child sacrifice. However, after investigation, we found that it was a result of a feud between two families," she said.