Missing children: NHRC for stricter implementation of laws

Addressing a conference on missing children, NHRC Chairperson Justice K G Balakrishnan said the society should help law enforcement agencies in tackling the issue.

"...Where are these missing children going? Either these children are being used by anti-social groups or organ rackets. Are they alive? Some children were found in extreme traumatic conditions. All communities must come forward with law enforcement agencies," he said.

The NHRC chief said most of the missing children were forced to do labour. "Missing children are heterogeneous category. Many cases are not reported to the police at all. 44,476 children go missing every year out of which 11,000 are untraced," he said.

Noting that the NHRC gave recommendations after the Nithari case came to light, Balakrishnan said somebody should be authorised and entrusted with this work.

"It is a serious problem. There is a need to keep special vigil at railway stations, there is a need to reiterate Supreme Court guidelines, identification and rehabilitation of missing children," he said.

Shantha Sinha, Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), highlighted the recent Delhi gang-rape and the involvement of a minor boy in it.

"The horrendous act which the minor has committed in the recent Delhi gang-rape case points fingers at us...

"When they are not mentored, guided, we allowed them to go away -- then we are creating monsters out of them," she said.

Prem Narain, Secretary in Women and Child Development Ministry, said the government was undertaking training of policemen.

"We have endeavoured to put the system in place by six months. Helpline 1098 is working throughout the country for rehabilitation of children. We must have a standard operation procedures, some kind of information report must be lodged," Narain said.

Aniruddha Kulkarni, Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF, was of the opinion that dysfunctional families are an important reason why children go missing.

"Schools also inflict violence through corporal punishment and other forms of abuse. Then there is physical and sexual abuse within the family. The core of the problem is that we are not able to protect children at family, community level," he said.