Shillong, December 17: Meghalaya social welfare minister Deborah Marak said the government will examine the legal action that should to be taken against Lei Shynshar Cultural Society for allegedly violating the Juvenile Justice Act by sending twenty minor girls to an institution run by an unregistered Trust in Tamil Nadu six months ago.
Marak told a news conference on Tuesday, “We are still examining on the legal action to be taken against the Lei Shynshar Cultural Society for sending the minor girls outside the state without the knowledge of Children Welfare Committee (CWC) that looks after the violation of the JJ Act.”
According to the minister , as per section 51 of the Juvenile Justice Act, it is clearly stated that no children below the age of 12 years can be taken outside the state without the consent of the CWC. She ruled out any trafficking related angle in connection with the twenty minor girls who are all being kept at the institution run by Sri Nevidita Seva Trust, Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
“We cannot say that these children are being trafficked,” Marak said while informing that an inquiry would also be set up to carry out proper investigation into the entire matter.
The twenty girls (8 to 13 years) hailing from West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills region of the state were taken by the Lei Shynshar Cultural Society president B Khonglam from Pynursla and secretary P Kynjing from Jowai to the institution run by Sri Nevidita Seva Trust, Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The trust in Tamil Nadu is providing free education to them.
The presence of the minor girls from Meghalaya was detected by the CWC and district administration of Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu who had immediately rescued the children and shifted them to Narendra Nambikkia Natchathiram – a children’s home registered under the JJ Act.
The Krishnagiri CWC and district administration had on October also filed a petition with the Madras High Court on the matter.
On October 31, the officials from Meghalaya met the chairperson of Krishnagiri CWC and sub-collector of the district (Krishnagiri) who informed that the Sri Nevidita Seva Trust had appealed to the High Court and the court had issued an order to maintain status quo. The court fixed hearing on November 5 and hence the 20 children could not be handed over to the officials of Meghalaya, Marak informed.
Marak further informed that the High Court of Madras differed the hearing on December 13 and later again the hearing was shifted to January 2, next year.
Marak assured that the government is concerned for safety, health and education of the children. If the court of Madras gives the order to transfer the children back to Meghalaya on January 2, she said the Meghalaya government will immediately send officials to bring back the children to the state.
Marak also informed that while the state government is trying to get back the children to the state, the parents of the children have expressed unhappiness over the proposed move.
According to report submitted by the District Social Welfare Committees (DSWCs) of Shillong, Jowai and Nongstoin to the state government, it stated, “The parents of twenty children are unhappy when they heard the news that their children will be taken back to their villages. All the parents have voiced their unwillingness against bringing any of children back, also claiming that their wards were happy and content on their place of studies.”
According to the report, the children were sent by the cultural society with the consent of all the parents who most of them have come from a poor economical background.
A district children protection officer from East Khasi Hills who was part of the official team to visit Tamil Nadu said, “We had interacted with all the twenty children during our visit. While 15 of them expressed their willingness to come back home, only five have expressed their hesitation to return back.”
On being asked as to how the government would deal in such a situation, Marak said, “We have to bring them back. We are waiting for the court order.”- By Our Reporter
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