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India - National Consultation on Juvenile Justice

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(ANS – Vijayawada) - The two day national level workshop on `Juvenile Justice (JJ) – A Way Forward` commenced in Vijayawada on February 11, 2008. Attending the workshop were 99 eminent Child Right activists, including government officials and policy makers with a vast and varied experience in the field of working with children, from across the country and Bangladesh as well. Primarily focused on the child, the workshop strove to build an action oriented knowledge group in order to facilitate networking and collaboration with diverse organizations working for a child-friendly world.

Organised by the Child Rights Advocacy Forum (CRAF), FORUM for Child Rights, Vijayawada and Don Bosco South Asia Forum for Young at Risk (DBSFYaR) the objectives of the intense workshop, namely network building and impacting policy making levels, were spelled out  by Fr Thomas Koshy, the director of DBNJ, Vijayawada during his words of welcome. The local MP, Mr Lagadapati Rajagopal, acclaimed as the `Chacha Nehru` (referring to the first Prime Minister of India who was very fond of children) of Vijayawada was the chief guest of the inaugural function that marked off the grand event.

While the rich experience of the state wise specific implementation of the JJ Act formed the main resource pool for the discussions and interactions, the chief spokespersons were Mr B.B. Pande (Professor) and Ms Sheela Barse (noted national child rights activist). Other noteworthy contributors were Mr Somasundaram (HOD of Criminology, MS University), Ms Jiti Nichani (Alternative Law Forum), Ms Arlene Manoharan (Centre for Child and Law), Mr Sony George (UNICEF Protection Officer), Fr George Kollashany (national coordinator of Youth at Risk) and Fr Thomas Koshy. In addition to the group discussions and plenary sessions, the participants spared no time and chance to interact with one another and get the best provided by this platform of activists gathering.

The action plan formulated after the two day intense interaction sums up the passion of the friends of children in making the JJ Act something practical and truly child-friendly. The workshop has a special national significance given the wide impact of the JJ Act that regulates nearly 2500 government institutions sheltering more than two and half lakh children. Collectively, the gathering sought to examine the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), its rules, and implementation in order to make a way forward where society and the law treat the child as a spirit, human and citizen.

Published 14/02/2008