Ill-treated Manipuri kids try to flee Padappai home

By M C Khaipu

Hih a nuai ah Chennai a thupiang Manipur pan Children home a omte bawlsaitna a tuak na thu tuni Times of India ah hong suak hi. Directory help assistance ka phone sawn leh a phone ki pickup lo a hih man in bang mah kihih thei kei. Innlam a Zomi Mother's Association te koih ding in ka up hang in a mau Combatore ngen a koih uh hi in thei ing. Zomi Mother's te a contact theih dan ding a thei omleh ana contact in ei a te Chennai ah a om kha hiam cih zong kankhiak hoih ding hi. Ka phone no pen 9941730889/9282142889 leh inn phone 044 65128741 hi, thu theih beh na neih uh leh hong hilh ta un.

Lungdam
Topa Thupha
MC Khaipu
ZONO Group

Ill-treated Manipuri kids try to flee Padappai home
The Times Of India Chennai Edition 13th August 2008

Chennai: A group of 22 children is allegedly being held captive by a self-proclaimed social worker in Padappai, 40 km south of Chennai.

The children, aged between five and 10, were brought here a few weeks ago by Justin, a pastor at a Tambaram church who claims to have opened an orphanage called Life Children’s Home. The social defence department, which sent a team to inspect the place, is yet to confirm if the orphanage is registered with it.

Childline received a call on Sunday, saying the children were being beaten up. Childline volunteers, along with a police team, visited the timber depot that doubles up as a home for the children. Childline then approached the Chengalpattu division of child welfare committee (CWC), a quasi-judicial body mandated to look into such matters, but the CWC could not make much headway.

Incidentally, four days before Childline received the call, Daniel Schmid, a teacher from Switzerland, told TOI that the children were being tortured. Schmid said he had come to visit the orphanage to which he had made a donation of Rs 50,000 a few months ago. “The children are being punished for even being playful. This is not the environment I thought the children would be in when I made the donation,” he said.

Schmid said five children had tried to escape, but employees of the orphanage caught them and brought them back.

Curiously enough, the CWC has thrown its hands up. “We have no powers to rescue the children. Our role is to take care of them after they are rescued by the police. However, we have deputed an officer to visit the orphanage and give a report,” Mohammed, a committee member, said.

‘CWC has powers of a judicial magistrate’

Chennai: The child welfare committee (CWC), a quasi-judicial body, has said it has no powers to rescue the 22 children allegedly being held captive in a timber depot near Chennai. This, say experts, is not true. “According to the Juvenile Justice Act, the CWC has the powers of a judicial magistrate. In case of such a complaint, it can invoke the powers to ask the police to produce the children before it,” said S Kannayairam, a former official of the department of social defence.

Kancheepuram SP K Periyaiah said he was “looking into the matter.” Asked why no action had been taken for two days after Childline approached the police, he said: “We have not received any written complaint.”

Denying the charges, Justin said he had brought the children to provide them good education. “I have all documents to prove that the children were brought from Manipur with permission from the local tribal council. The orphanage is a registered body,” he said.

-----------------------------------

Zono: This news in the Times Of India brings out the unheard voices of the children from Manipur. Eventhough it was mentioned as Manipuris we suspected to be our people. If anyone or any organization know more details about the incident about these children. Please feel free to contact us at the 044-65128741 or 0-9941730889.