CNS: Articles of Anjali Singh

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Breaking the Silence Finally on Child Sexual Abuse

Anjali Singh - CNS
Child Sexual Abuse is a topic few are ready to discuss much less address. Thus it came as a welcome surprise when in May 2012 the Indian Parliament enacted its first law specifically outlawing child sexual abuse. Prior to that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act being notified, different forms of abuse with children in India was covered by laws not designed to address them. So if a girl suffered non-penetrative sexual abuse it would be classified as “assault with intent to outrage the modesty of woman,” and if a boy suffered abuse it would be classified as per the draconian anti-homosexuality law that criminalized, “carnal intercourse against the order of nature.”

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is a much awaited initiative in Uttar Pradesh. And Rightly so with hopes of both, the government agencies as well as the private NGOs and activists pinned on the scheme for a better, safer and a more organized system of ushering in a protective environment for children in the state. Once implemented the ICPS is being touted as the ultimate accountability apparatus for care and protection as well as an effective juvenile justice system in the state.

(Names of children have been changed to protect their identity) 12 year old Kushan, has just turned into a Juvenile in Conflict with Law. His crime-shooting dead his step mother with his father’s revolver. While the act itself may sound quite scandalous, what is even more outrageous is the fact the child despite having surrendered to the police himself post the shooting, and clearly showing no malafide intention that precipitated the act, has been allegedly apprehended and sent to an observation home in Muzzaffarnagar, UP being treated as an aberrant.

At a recent training workshop for Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members, at which I was invited as the guest expert on the issue of "Child Rights and Convergence of Related Agencies to Ensure access to Juvenile Justice System for a child in distress," a very poignant question was raised by a CWC Member from Uttarakhand: "When we know that institutions like children homes and observation homes are 'hell holes' where the child is likely to be exposed to more abuse and neglect, then knowingly why do we shove these children down these 'wells of horrors'?"

Imagine a life confined to imprisonment for years and sometimes a life time in that predicament. A person is removed from society, cut off from family and friends and turns into a lonely soul made into a convict to repent for his actions. The very thought conjures up images of sad people living aimlessly within the four walls of the prison they are housed in. With no hope of respite from boredom, loneliness and guilt, and in absence of a support or care system, their situation is indeed worrisome.

She packs a powerful punch, given her pint size stature, yet the lady from Dora, a quaint hamlet of district Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, is a tall woman thanks to her achievements and she makes no bones about it. Having stood for the Gram Sabha elections and winning with a over 300 votes which was a total landslide victory for her, Savitri stands as a testimony to what a strong will power coupled with an effective communication skill can do, no matter what the physical constraints or societal traditions maybe.

It is a social outcry, one that has borne testimony of its existence when well known Bollywood film-star Shiney Ahuja was accused of raping his domestic help. But his is not an isolated incident say union of domestic workers campaigning for their rights in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) state.They thus organized themselves together to raise their voice against sexual harassment at their workplace and have ensured their voice is heard - loud and clear!

In a thriving democratic set up like the one that India has, access to justice for all would seem like a cake walk. More so with the Indian Constitution ensuring that there are enough legal safeguards within the system, well established edifices of justice and a very proactive judiciary. Nevertheless the challenges of a huge backlog leading to delay which in turn retards the process of timely delivery of justice are some of the cracks in the system through which the weak and disadvantaged groups fall through when it comes to seeking justice.

The recent incident of a five year old being raped and murdered by her neighbour in New Delhi is yet another example of the increasing numbers of children who face sexual abuse. Add to that the case of a child from Kanpur who was sexually abused by her school teacher and died as a result, and a disturbing trend of children under threat will emerge. But in Uttar Pradesh such instances have not been few. In Sept 2009, 13 year old girl was found dead and her 7 year old friend was found lying unconscious with her hands amputated and knife wounds and burn marks on her body on the railway tracks near Manak Nagar, in Lucknow.

Neelam, 15 yrs, teaches
at the village school
Photo credit: Anjali Singh

Thakurainganj, Ralpur: For twelve year old Akash who suffers from a rare nutritional deficiency which has rendered him a midget, living in Thakurainganj, District Ralpur, Raebareli does not hold any special significance. Given the fact that it also happens to be the high profile constituency of Congress supremo, development and progress is still a far cry in this area. The sheer penury in which people live comes as a shock specially so when children pay the price of such neglect. Low nutritional index, lack of sanitation and hygiene and children with preventable birth defects add to the already existing woes of the people being outcasts owing to their caste. But even in such trying times hope prevails thanks to the initiative taken by women who being unread themselves make a strong case for education for their village and community, their age and gender notwithstanding.

Newly elected CWC members from UP

A sincere effort was made to encourage the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) to be more proactive in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) to preserve the best interest of the child by fostering child rights. The duration of survival of the child, right to life, right to inclusion and protection were key indicators the meeting focussed on. This two-day sensitization workshop was organised jointly by the Women Welfare Department, UP Government and SATHI, an organisation working for children in difficult situations. It was attended by newly elected CWC members from 71 districts of UP and Superintendents of government homes that house children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law.

The cause of the right to education for minority girls was taken up quite effectively at a zonal seminar on "Empowerment of Minority Girls Through Education" at the Department of Education, Karamat Husain Muslim Girls' Post-Graduate College in Lucknow. Organised under the ageis of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Government of India and Committee On Girls Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India, the seminar was attended by delegates from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP) and other states of India.

It was the voice of women in Uttar Pradesh that found an expression at a silent march organised by women's organisations working for women rights in Lucknow on 12 February 2011. Though there was no slogan shouting or chest beating to lament the state of declining law and order in the state when it came to providing protection to women against violence, the message which the marchers wanted to send out to the power corridors was loud enough.

DM supervising the
hand-pump construction

Just a short stroll through Rewali, Adampur, the mud embankment in Kaiserganj, Bahraich, a small district in the flood prone area of Uttar Pradesh, gives you an idea of the gravity of the predicament people here face year after year. Yet this year none seem to grumble their grievances about government apathy and inaction in rescue and rehabilitation work. In fact in most embankments the zeal to fight back the raging river shoulder to shoulder with district administration officials is a rare sight to see indeed.

Child Welfare Committee Lucknow sits over hearing regarding restoring the family rights of minor infant girl and her brother both children of burn victim Khusboo with their family in Gorakhpur
The case of a woman from Badialganj thana District Gorakhpur who is a victim of burn injuries inflicted on her by her own husband when he made an attempt on her life, came up for hearing before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Lucknow.

Inter-country adoptions of orphans and destitute that was going on at the family courts in Lucknow unchecked so far, came under serious scrutiny post a complaint made by Saaksham Foundation to the Chief Justice of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Mr FI Rebello. Taking immediate cognizance to the report made by the organisation post two years of investigation, Hon'ble Mr Justice FI Rebello ordered an inquiry into the cases forwarded to him by the organization working to prevent violations of child rights in Uttar Pradesh.

If attempts on life and desertion of a minor girl child won't shake the State Women's Commission or the UP Police into action to do their jobs then one never knows what will. In yet another bizarre case of apathy and insensitivity the UP Police and the State Women's Commission together ensured that not one but two women; one a minor, were not given access to justice on their rights being brutally violated.

Today, 1st of December, is World AIDS Day—a grim reminder of this killer disease, which has devastated millions of families all over the world. In Uttar Pradesh alone, more than 35,000 AIDS patients were registered with the state AIDS Control Office till September, 2010. How many more unregistered people would there be, is anybody’s guess. Amongst the registered ones, there are 1597 male and 777 female HIV positive children. Read more

Clinic manned by MSM doctors
providing medical aid to Kothis in Lucknow

Having faced ages of neglect, denial and invisibility, "Kothis" (feminised males) are now being mobilized by groups like 'Bharosa' in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (India) to be empowered and demonstrate leadership in reaching out within their community for increasing access to essential services including HIV prevention, care, treatment and support services. They are routinely encouraged to practice safer sexual practices and protect themselves from any kind of abuse or exploitation. Read more

Broadcast Launch of Community Radio in Lalitpur

Alapur, Birdha Block, Lalitpur: Community Radio (CR) achieved another milestone on 3rd September 2010. Its first Community Radio (CR) station 'Lalit Lokwani' went on air in Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, India, and officially began its broadcast to over 80 villages in Lalitpur district of Budelkhand region. A combined effort of UNICEF, Ideosync Media Combine and Sai Jyoti, a Laitpur based NGO, the region's first radio station was jointly put on air by Ranvir Yadav, District Magistrate (DM Lalitpur, Jugal Kishore, Joint Director Bharatendu Natak Academi UP and well known theatre personality who also recently made an appearance in Amir Khan's Peepli Live and Rajeshwari Chandrashekar, Programme Manager, UNICEF Lucknow at a gala function organized at the Lalit Lokwani station in Alapur. Read more