Manipur Education Minister S Rajen Singh on Wednesday said that educating children will help to reduce the problem of child trafficking.
The education minister made the remark at the inaugural function of ‘One day State Level Workshop on Combating Child Trafficking Post COVID-19 Lockdown’ held at the Art Gallery Hall, City Convention, Palace Compound in Imphal.
Speaking as chief guest of the function, the minister said that child trafficking is a social menace and it is a big challenge to tackle the issue.
While maintaining that there is a big role to be played by the social welfare and education department to build a healthy nation, the minister said that the education department is working hand in hand with the social welfare department for the welfare of children and women in the country by initiating many schemes.
"The social welfare department has set up a commission for the protection of child rights at the national and state levels. Children belonging to the poor families are the targets of the child traffickers. The children and their parents are lured with lame promises to provide good opportunities and future. There are many incidents of rescuing children from outside the state and abroad. Police departments, NGOs and civil voluntary organisations have been helping to curb the problem of child trafficking," Rajen said.
Free and compulsory education has been introduced by the government to educate children belonging to poor families, the minister added.
Speaking as functional president, Social Welfare Minister O Henry said that child trafficking is a crime and needs to make the public aware about the incidents of child trafficking.
“Human trafficking has also become a serious social menace. Children, particularly girls, are in many ways misled by traffickers for the sake of money. We all need to fight against such heinous crime,” he added.
Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Priyank Kanoongao; chairperson of Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Ph Manibabu Sharma; IGP, K Radhashyam; Kh Diana Devi, IAS shared the dais during the inaugural function. Officers from Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, Manipur Police, Social Welfare department, representatives of NGOs were also present.
Many resource persons also shared their views during the technical session that followed the formal function.
