The Hindu

BANGALORE, Jun 13: Union Minister for Law and Justice M. Veerappa Moily has called for a halt to the sensationalisation of crimes perpetrated against children.

Speaking immediately after Supreme Court Judge R.V. Raveendran expressed dismay over the failure of the State to take effective steps to prevent crimes against children as shown in Oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” during a function here on Friday, Mr. Moily expressed himself strongly against such dramatisation of crimes against children.

Earlier, Mr. Raveendran, who released hoardings on Rights of Children at the function, said few people in the country knew about the existence of learning difficulties among children till “Taare Zameen Par” threw light on the disorder, which is called dyslexia.

Next, he referred to the movie Slumdog Millionaire, which he said had been dismissed as “underbelly” of the country. But, the presence of “gangs of deformed and maimed children” seeking alms at traffic junctions suggests that crimes were being committed against children. “It is unfortunate that appropriate authorities had not taken steps in the matter. The State has a lot to do in these matters”, he said.

But, Mr Moily, who spoke next, referred to Mr. Raveendran’s observations, and said such sensationalisation of crimes against children should stop immediately.

The Union Minister felt that a child should be protected against any form of insult. “He likes to live with honour and dignity. That right should be given to him,” he said and added that any insult to a child would affect his “psyche”.

He said society should ensure that the charter of eleven rights of children including rights to education, nutrition, health etc. are implemented in letter and spirit.

Minister for Women and Child Development P.M. Narendra Swamy claimed that various departments of the State would be using Child Tracking Software so that each “child’s footsteps can be traced by the click of a button”.

He claimed that the State had established Child Rights Protection Commission, besides Child Rights Protection Committees at district level to ensure that child rights are upheld.

Earlier, Judge of Supreme Court H.L. Dattu launched a series of programmes on “Prohibition of Child Labour”. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri , Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court P.D. Dinakaran, Advocate-General Udaya Holla, High Court Judges N.K. Patil, V. Gopala Gowda and Ram Mohan Reddy were present at the function organized jointly by Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, Department of Education, Department of Women and Child Development, Department of Labour and Advocates’ Association.