Child trafficking in Jaintia Hills coal mines

Dimapur, Oct 20 : National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) held a meeting at Pinewood, conference hall at 11:30 am on October 17, 2011. NCPCR held the meeting in coordination with the Social Welfare Department, government of Meghalaya with the presence of various NGOs from Meghalaya.
A press note issued by Ibanshandor Myrthong, Intern (Impulse NGO) stated that the NCPCR called for the meeting with regard to a complaint filed by Impulse NGO Network on the trafficking of children on the coal mines in Jaintia Hills. Following up on a case where the Impulse NGO Network has filed, presenting with the statistics of how many children were working on the coal mines, and that how there has been a delay on the part of the government to implement the Right to Education Act and Child Labour policies he said, “The Commission will be compelled to call for a public hearing.”
Dr. Dube, also addressed the meeting saying that the government should not only look on numbers, but also check on facts to overcome the issues and the state should set up a Shelter Home in order to give shelter for the children who are being rescued from the coal mines by various NGOs working for the betterment of the children. The commission took cognisance in the matter the NGOs are working for the uplift of the children in the state and the country as a whole.
The note also mentioned that Impulse NGO Network has filed a complaint regarding the misbehaviour of some unknown people in the Meghalaya Hindu Mission Orphanage, where the children are being beaten up and threaten to be chased out of the said orphanage. The commission will investigate the matter and had taken the statement of a boy who had been abused in the orphanage. Dr. Yogesh Dube, member of the NCPCR present at the meeting thanked the NGO for their hard work and also invited them to work as an extended arm to help the commission. Members of the Impulse NGO Network, Child Line collaborative organisation- Bosco Reach Out, Reach Ministry, CSWO, Legal Rights Forum, Lympung Ki Seng Kynthei were present in the meeting.