Assam: App to complain against child rights violations

Lodging a complaint against child rights violations in Assam became easier and instant with the launch of a mobile App on Children's Day on Thursday.

The app named as 'Sishu Suraksha' by Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is available in Android and iOs platforms and can be installed and used by anyone to lodge complaints. The complaint will be directly sent to the commission, which will subsequently take it up with concerned departments for investigation and action.

A person coming across child rights violations such as sexual abuse, child labour or child marriage and willing to lodge a complaint now has to visit the commission's office. This discourages many to lodge a complaint. The mobile app is expected to make the process easier, instant and more transparent.

"A message will automatically come to the complainant informing him or her about the status of the complaint and action taken," said officials of the commission.

Assam chief minister Sarbanada Sonowal launched the app at a function organised in a five-star hotel here on Thursday. This, however, raised some questions from child rights activists who asked why so much of money earmarked for child protection was spent on organising the launch event in a five-star hotel. "The event could have been organised in any government conference hall instead of a 5-star hotel and the money could have been utilised for child welfare or those in need of care and protection. There are many children in Assam, who fights for food and protection," one of them said.

Assam reported over 12,000 cases of child rights violations since 2015, including 125 this year so far. Most of them are related to child marriage, child trafficking and sexual exploitation.