Children's Rights in Shining India
Enakshi Ganguly Thukral
An examination of the laws shows that although they are meant to protect the interests of children, they have been formulated from the point of view of adults and not children. They are neither child-centred, nor child friendly, nor do they always resonate with the CRC. Thousands of children are homeless or living in inadequate living conditions and are displaced in the name of development and progress.

Keeping a Watch on Child Rights in India
Razia Ismail Abbasi
In keeping with its earlier advocacy for world attention for children, India accepted the decisions of the 1990 World Summit on Children, and in 1992 also acceded to the Child Rights Convention (CRC). While making all the right moves on paper, it was doing nothing much to match the official signatures it affixed to international instruments.

Globalisation - will our Children Pay the Price?
Illa. D. Hukku

Convention on the Rights of the Child-Achievements and Challenge
Jaap. E. Doek
The CRC has become a foundation for, and the driving force behind, a wide variety of activities aimed at improving the world of and for children. All national governments have committed themselves to build a world fit for children. It should remain important that an international body can regularly review and examine the activities of the States.

Bringing Child Rights on the WSF Agenda
Kavitha Krishnamoorthy
The World Social Forum, Mumbai saw child rights groups form a coalition

Holding Governments Accountable
Rita Vohra
The budget of any country is not merely an economic document. In a democratic country like India, civil society groups' monitoring of what the government spends on children would lend a strong and effective voice to the children who cannot vote, lobby or speak out for themselves.

Sexual Exploitation of Children
Aparna Bhat
The Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act (ITPA), 1956 is unable to address the new forms that prostitution and child prostitution have taken. The Act does not define trafficking, ignores the victims completely and does not give any benefit to child victims. Studies have shown that prosecution is superficial - pimps, touts, middlemen and the primary traffickers are not touched by the prosecution.

Child Sexual Abuse -Time for Action
Prathiba Menon
One out of every four children in the world is a victim of sexual abuse, but Indian has not seen it fit to even recognize the problem. No Indian legislation has attempted to even define child sexual abuse. There is absolutely no section of the IPC that covers all the various kinds of abuse that is done by an adult to a child.

Beyond the Protection of Juvenile Legislation
Maharukh Adenwalla
Legislation is very clear in its intention that juveniles are not to be incarcerated in jails pending inquiry or on conviction. Despite the safeguards incorporated in the law and procedure, ensuring children protection of juvenile legislation, juveniles continue to form part of the criminal justice system as it is applicable to adults.

Other issues:

Special Issue
April - May Supplement'03

Reports
Punthamba - A Fight for Justice
A fact finding report of the demolition of adivasi huts and cops in Punthambha, Ahmednagar District, Maharrashtra.

Larzish - Saying it through FilmsA round-up of the first International Film Festival of Sexuality and Gender Plurality.


A Movement for Repeal of POTA
Report on the People's tribuna on POTA and other security legislations.

Women
Branding Women
A fact finding report reveals the use of witch hunting as yet another means of oppression of women in the tribal belts of Nandurbar, Maharashtra.

Sati Judgement - An Appeal

Communalism
Passing the Saffron Buck
Hoshedar Havewala
A violation of human rights is used by communal forces to spark tension in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh.

Judiciary & Polity
Cyber Crime and Indian Society
Anuradha Parasar
A pragmatic approach of all concerned is needed to tackle this crime still in its nascent stage in India.

Rule of Law - A Fugitive
K.G.Kannabiran
Increasing corruption and brazen bending of the judiciary by people holding public offices intensifies the need of a Special law.

Shifting the Balance
Prashant Bhushan
Has the Philosophy of the Supreme Coourt on Public Interest Litigation changed in the era of Liberalisation?

DNA fingerprinting - A Legal Perspective
Abhijeet Sharma

Labour Rights
Tea Garden Workers - Abandoned to Death
Sunil Scaria
In view of the persistent reports of starvation and other human rights abuses in the tea garden of North Bengal, Swadhikar, a voluntary society in Jalpaiguri requested the Indian People's Tribunal (IPT) to visit the area in order to determine facts and make recommendations.

Adivasi Rights
Adivasi Tradition as a Crime
Stan Swamy
Adivasi tradition of dispute - resolution is made out as a criminal offence.

Prisoner's Rights
Accessing Justice
Hridey Pal Singh
The right of the accused to a copy of the First Information Report will go a long way in ensuring justice.

A Model for All?
Veena Kumari
A jailbreak at the Model Jain in Chandigarh leads to suspension of human rights of inmates and harassment of their families.