All about child rights
CHILD RIGHTS IN INDIA — Law, Policy and Practice: Asha Bajpai; Oxford University Press, YMCA Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi-110001. Rs. 695.
THERE ARE hardly any young married couples who do not aspire to have children. The irony though is that there are very few who have knowledge of their rights, their laws and even the development of the child. As far as the girl child is concerned even if the law and rights are known, the girl child remains unwanted.
In such a scenario, Asha Bajpai has dealt with a gamut of issues from childbirth to custody, to the rights to play and recreation.
She has very effectively dealt with the issues of trafficking, foeticide, infanticide — a very comprehensive study written in easy, understandable language with clarity on each issue.
Her appeal to policy-makers as she puts it "comprehensive national policy which has a multidisciplinary and interdepartmental approach should form the basis of any law on child labour."
As matters stand today the left-hand does not know what the right is doing and it is vital that we have an interdepartmental approach that the author has suggested.
An urgent need is there for a SOS village model to be adopted to take care of the millions of child prostitutes, children of prostitutes, children trafficked and abandoned.
She has approached the scope of law differently. She has dealt with wide-ranging existing laws and that which need to be changed radically for speedy justice with structured changes. The book has the magic of waking up the civil society, NGOs and the policy makers to review and implement the faulty justice system. Some of the case studies discussed are indicative of the thousands of problems faced by children.
She has dealt with excellent plans and policies. However child labour remains so very common and sometimes one feels that it cannot be avoided. It is heartening that emphasis is given to education and primary education.
The author deserves congratulations for bringing out this excellent book which is a great boon to all those interested in child development and empowerment.
V. Mohini Giri
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