Child Rights Body Asks Magistrate to Inquire Into Children Protesting Against Evictions in Haldwani

NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanungo said that the involvement of children in protests violates the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

New Delhi: The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Nanital district magistrate to “look into the matter” of children participating in protests in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani against their eviction from homes.

According to Deccan Herald, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said that the involvement of children in protests violates the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and asked the Nainital district magistrate to inquire into the incident and submit an action report within seven days.

Thousands of families – most of them belonging to the Muslim community – in Haldwani were protesting against an order issued by the Uttarakhand high court allowing the railways to evict them from their homes. While the railways claims that the land belongs to them, the residents have disputed the claim and say they have ownership documents. The Supreme Court on Thursday, January 5, stayed the order.

The NCPCR letter said that it has observed that minor children are being used “by the perpetrators for illegal protest”.

“In the photographs that have been uploaded on social media, children are clearly seen sitting with banners in their hands in the protest. It is pertinent to mention that children of tender age have been brought to the protest site in these adverse weather conditions which can prove to be dangerous for their health and wellbeing,” the letter, dated January 5, says, according to Deccan Herald.

Curiously, the NCPCR has not expressed any concern at the prospect of thousands of children becoming homeless if the evictions in Haldwani are carried out.

“It is pertinent to mention here that the Commission on earlier occasion has observed that use of children in such illegal protest has resulted in injury and even caused the death of minor children in one of the protests,” the letter adds.

The children who are participating in protests should be identified and produced before the Child Welfare Committee if required to ensure their safety, Kanoongo wrote, according to Deccan Herald. The parents of the children may also be counselled if the need arises, he said.

During the protest in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) too, the NCPCR had written a similar letter to the district magistrate. It claimed that children might be “under influence of rumours/miscommunication” during the protests and as a result may be suffering from “mental trauma”.