Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 10: The 2-day State Roundtable Conference on implementation of Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice Act concluded at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here today.
On the second day of the Roundtable Conference, the working groups comprising judges, judicial officers, lawyers, police officials and social activists identified the problems, challenges and issues in the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act and came up with their suggestions.
During the deliberations, the participants stressed the need to rope in ICDS, ICPS, Anganwari workers, Volunteers, Village Level Workers, Social Workers and other stakeholders and utilize their services to identify vulnerable children who need attention of the society.
The groups also called for setting up permanent infrastructure in every district of J&K for which State or the Centre can provide the land or compensation for acquiring land to develop infrastructure including Children’s Homes and Observation Homes.
Speaking during the valedictory function, Justice Madan B Lokur, Supreme Court Judge, expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the two day conference and said that the conference has been able to bring all the stakeholders together to work for the effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act-2013.
He said all the stakeholders have been able to sit together to identify the problems, challenges and issues and worked together to come up with solutions. He said the success of the conference is that all stakeholders introspected and accepted their shortcomings and in the end resolved to remove all the bottlenecks to implement the Act effectively.
Justice Lokur called upon all the stakeholders to work in tandem to set up Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Welfare Committees, Advisory Boards and Observation Homes at earliest which are a prerequisite for the implementation of the Act. He said all the suggestions need to be taken care of by all the stakeholders that will help them while dealing with the juveniles.
Chief Justice J&K High Court, Badar Durrez Ahmed while speaking on the occasion stressed on the Police and other law enforcing agencies to be extra cautious and sensitive while dealing with the juveniles. He said, “we need to apprehend rule of law through Juvenile’s Point of View,” adding that for a juvenile it is irrepressible loss for a innocent kid if arrested without any sin or crime.
Chief Justice also called for greater awareness with regard to the sensitization of the people regarding juvenile issues. He said regardless of the political, economic or social philosophy of a Government, welfare of the children is of the utmost importance and must be given top priority. He said the judiciary has played vital role in sensitizing all the stake holders by bringing them together and in identifying workable solutions in order to trigger changes at the ground level.
Chief Secretary, BB Vyas said State is facing problems at various fronts especially the scars inflicted by the obtaining circumstances of over three decades have made the challenges far more complex than ever before. He said the children have more severely been affected by these circumstances across the last three decades and vulnerability of juveniles have increased many fold as a consequence of such a long abnormal situation and the response by the society has been far inadequate than required.
Executive Chairman J&K State Legal Services Authority also spoke on the occasion and discussed various initiatives taken with regard to the rehabilitation and re-integration of the juveniles in conflict with law and the sensitization and awareness programs carried out by the cell.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta, member Juvenile Justice Committee, J&K High Court called upon all the stakeholders to work in synergy to come up with an effective and conducive atmosphere for juveniles. He said the welfare of the children should be priority of every stakeholder.
Special DG VK Singh also spoke on the occasion and assured that every measure will be taken by the JK Police Department being the first responders to provide a conducive environment for juveniles.
Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, Chairman Juvenile Justice Committee , JK High Court said that the conference will act as a bench mark in the history of the implementation of Juvenile Justice Act 2013 in the J&K State.
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