PDF, 1.1MB - Combat Law

“ The day will come whennations will be judged,not by their military oreconomic strength, norby the splendour of theircapital cities and public buildings,but by the well-being of their peoples:by their levels of health, nutritionand education; by their opportunitiesto earn a fair reward for theirlabours; by their ability to participatein the decisions that affect their lives;by the respect that is shown for theircivil and political liberties; by theprovision that is made for those whoare vulnerable and disadvantaged;and by the protection that is affordedto the growing minds and bodies oftheir children.” These words annuallyprefaced a special report that theUnited Nations Children’s Fundused to publish on ‘The Progress ofchild rightsKeeping a Watch on ChildRights in IndiaBY RAZIA ISMAIL ABBASIAMITA CHAVAN8 combat law • April - May 2004Nations.’ Ironically, the day has notyet come, but UNICEF has ceasedpublication of its yearly score-cardreport.Countries like ours should begrateful the report no longerappears, since India’s score wasalways below the line dividing positivefrom negative. It is a moot pointwhether its publication through the1990’s actually ever succeeded intweaking our national conscience.We regularly grumble about ourpoor ranking in the human developmentindex of the UNDP HumanDevelopment Report, and we feelgood when the World Bank or theBretton Woods Institutions pat us onthe back for cutting down on socialsector investments – but children’srights? Are we worried? Childrendie, suffer abuse, struggle throughchildhood without basic health care,nutrition, protection, learning opportunity– mostly without complaint,because they do not know how toprotest, or where. Who cares? Notthe Indian State. We seem not toanalyse what human developmentmeans.Was it always so? India’s Tara AliBaig – who campaigned long andhard for the human rights of children– often asked why this country’splanners and decision-makersalways placed children and theirneeds at the end of the line. As one ofthe architects of the UniversalDeclaration on the Rights of theChild, back in 1959, a long-timepresident of the International Unionfor Child Welfare, one-time head ofthe Indian Council for Child Welfare,and a tireless champion of the leastserved,least-reached, least-noticedchildren in our society and in theworld at large, she had a right to ask.In 1979, when the UN pushed theworld’s nations to observe theInternational Year of the Child, MrsBaig could take some pride in therole India had played in the UnitedNations’ dedication of a special yearfor children. Mr Krishna Menon, betterknown for his incisive diplomacyon other subjects, is on record in theGeneral Assembly’s annals for hiseloquent speech calling for the year.This advocacy by Indian NGOs andgovernment alike, gave India a specialplace as a pioneering voice forchildren’s right to be recognised andrespected. A decade after theInternational Year, Mrs Baig died inthe knowledge that the world communitywas moving towards a landmarkinternational legislation thatwould stand as a historic bill ofrights for children: the UNConvention on the Rights of theChild. Plans were also under way forthe UN to convene a World Summit