Children are the most innocent and vulnerable lot to rights violation. The handling of children in schools is a cause of worry. In this edition itself, at least three instances have been reported wherein the Commission had to move and take cognizance of the rights violation of school children. These involved issues of corporal punishment, serving hazardous mid-day meal and sexual assault involving the teaching and support staff.
Good behaviour in itself is a rewarding experience. The school management, teaching and support staff is required to be given a thorough sensitization on importance of rights of children and some basic courtesies, which, if shown towards the tiny tots, would ultimately educate them to become better human beings in future.
Matters of police atrocities are not new and issues of wrongful confinement, illegal detention, firing, custodial torture and fake encounter crop up time and again. This edition of the newsletter is also carrying some stories on this aspect of police who, as a collective force as custodian of law and order, needed to understand that more than their image of a tough cop, they also required to project that they were good human beings, sensitive to the rights of others, to instill confidence in the minds of people who could approach them without fret and fear in their hour of distress.
Finally, a thought for silicosis/pneumonocosis: a fatal disease of lungs. There is a need for a standardized technique to diagnose silicosis. The doctors mostly confuse it with tuberculosis. Its victims are mainly unorganized sector labourers. The NHRC has been pursuing the issues related to silicosis since long. Hopefully, the State Governments would be more forthright in implementing the preventive measures and identifying the cases of silicosis for rehabilitation instead of remaining in denial mode. Our lead story focuses on this aspect.