FROM THE DESK OF CHAIRPERSON, MANIPUR SCPCR   

At the outset, I can’t help but share my heartfelt pains and deep sorrows to our precious 25000 internally displaced children, scattering around at different parts of the State. They are indeed the innocent victims of this unprecedented and horrific ethnic armed conflict that sparked in the month of May, 2023 which still continues to haunt unabatedly.

After my assuming office as the Chairperson of Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR), my first mission has been reaching out to these displaced children to cater the immediate needs such as food, nutrition, shelter, education and health by visiting some Relief Camps.

MCPCR’s main campaign in this situation would be bringing a mass awareness and mutual understanding amongst all the stake holders and warring parties, so that all the children are duly provided safe passage in any kind of military offensive, communal attacks or retaliatory action. Because, children are not combatants and they even don’t know the reasons and politics of this armed ethnic conflict, means they are not a party in this conflict. They deserve full immunity, exemption from all types of persecutions, hence no hostility and hatred should be meted out to them as punishment or revenge upon a child on the ground that they belong to either one or another warring community. Let’s stop targeting children.

I hope together we could bring peace, normalcy and trauma free society once again.

Wishing you a peaceful and prosperous New Year 2024.

	(Keisam Pradipkumar)
	Chairperson