we need to hang our head in shame

We need to hang our head in shame that a mother has lost faith in our system to deliver justice to her daughter....

Goa rape case: Victim's mother withdraws charges
NDTV Correspondent
Sunday, November 09, 2008, (Goa)

The mother of the German minor, who was allegedly raped by Goa Education Minister Atanasio Monserratte's son Rohit, has withdrawn the charges against him.The German woman has written a letter to police, saying 'the whole system has failed her'.On November 5, Rohit was remanded to three days police custody by a Goa court in connection with the rape case. Rohit had surrendered before the Goa police.He was booked by Goa police on October 14 for allegedly raping the German girl and had gone missing after that.He appeared before the police on November 1 to give his statement, a few hours before the 14-year-old German girl deposed before a magistrate after initial reluctance.

Adoption and CARA website

http://www.adoptionindia.nic.in/carahome.html

Please follow this link share your views/comments/suggestions:

1. Do you have any reactions about the use of the picture of a ‘naked child’ on a site that promotes adoption? especially a Government of India's offcial site?

2. As per the CARA Guidelines, the first priority is encouraging intra-country adoption. Does the picture of foreign adoptive parents on the Home Page not suggest that our Government wants to promote foreign adoptions rather than Indian?

XITH FIVE YEAR PLAN

The XI th Five Year Plan is up on the Planning Commission Site. For the first time in the history Planning in India, the section on children is called Child Rights and not Child Welfare. Indeed the chapter is creatively titled Towards Women's Agency and Child Rights

As has been the trend so far, a single chapter has been dedicated to Women and Children. This does little justice to either groups. The next step is to help women and children find their own place in the planning document. Small beginnings and large steps.....we need to keep moving

http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/11th/11_v1/11th_vol2.pdf

My God is a Juvenile Delinquent

"A book about children in conflict with law, that focuses more on the emotional, physical and psychological issues, rather than only the legal perspective. My God is a Juvenile Delinquent dwells on the author's journey into the world of children in conflict with law, his interaction with them, their stories, their point of view, their angst and often, the loss of childhood and the ruin of countless futures".

My God is a Juvenile Delinquent
A book by Ruzbeh N. Bharucha
Published by Sainatham Communication
Cost: INR 350/- only

If you are interested in buying this book please contact:
Ms. Neena Sharma
Administrator
HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
208 Shahpur Jat
New Delhi – 110049
Tel: 011-26490136
011-26492551
Write Email: info@haqcrc.org
or neena@haqcrc.org

You can place your order by sending us a cheque in the name of HAQ: Centre for Child Rights of INR 370/- (including courier charges i.e. INR 20/- for Delhi) or INR 410/- (including courier charges i.e. INR 60/- for outside of Delhi but with in India), along with your name and complete address where the book should be delivered.

You can also buy this book from:

Full Circle
N- 8 Greater Kailash
Part – I
New Delhi: 110048
Tel: 011-29245642

Full Circle
5-B, Khan Market
New Delhi: 110003
Tel: 011-24655642


Full Circle
No: 13, Ist Floor
MGF Metropolitan
Saket
New Delhi: 110017

CABINET GIVES CHILDREN DIWALI GIFT BY DIRECTING HOT COOKED FOOD

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Death_knell_for_ready-to-eat_scheme/articleshow/3641723.cms
Death knell for Renuka's ready-to-eat scheme?26 Oct 2008, 0350 hrs IST, Nitin Sethi, TNN
NEW DELHI: Renuka Chowdhury's belligerence seems to have been lost on herCabinet colleagues. Despite a very strong pitch by the women and child
development (WCD) minister, the Cabinet has decided that hot cooked mealswould be served all over the country in the next two years under theIntegrated Child Development Service scheme.
It emerges from the Cabinet note that the GOM set up on ICDS, which TOI hadreported on earlier, is only to recommend measures for expediting the switchover to hot-cooked meals in states where this is not already being done.
In what is being interpreted as a further rebuff to the WCD minister, thepanchayati raj ministry would now be associated in implementing the scheme.Mani Shankar Aiyar, minister for Panchayati Raj had pointed out that theConstitution demanded a greater role of panchayti raj institutions in ICDSbut WCD ministry ignored the suggestions.
Instead, the WCD ministry had remained firm on its backing for ready-to-eatmeals in the face of opposition from the planning commission, the financeministry and even the PMO. While some had warned that it would lead tocentralization and consequently corruption, others had also warned that itwould be a direct threat to the health of eight crore poor children.
The Supreme Court-appointed food commissioners too wrote to the WCD ministrywarning it not to go ahead with the proposal in the face of apex courtorders requiring that middlemen and contractors of any kind not be used inproviding food under government schemes.
But the WCD ministry lobbied in favour of packaged food at the review of itsICDS revamp proposal with the finance ministry. As a consequence, thefinance ministry diluted its original vehement opposition to Chowdhury's petproject, instead suggesting that hot-cooked meals could be served if thestates so agreed.

Happy Diwali

HAQ believes that children are important Actors in our society, as Citizens of Today and as Adults of the Future. We also believe that each member of society can be a child rights activist, wherever we are. All we need to do is stand up against injustice around us and stop child abuse and exploitation. Simply keep our eyes, ears, minds and hearts open. We can then hear the cry for justice.

This Diwali, HAQ:Centre for Child Rights dedicates a new blog to ALL children. This is a forum for all of us to share our concerns, comments, suggestions, queries or simply vent feelings on issues concerning children. Let us also share the small steps we have taken to fight injustice and exploitation of children in our neighborhood or community.

We can stop child abuse and exploitation now!