India has been removed from the annual UN report named “Children and armed conflict” for the first time since 2010. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recognised India’s efforts to better protect children in J&K and announced that India has been dropped from the report in 2024.
It is for the first time in twelve years that India was not named in this report alongside countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, lake Chad basin and the Philippines.
This report focuses on children in the regions affected by wars and armed conflict. It keeps note of children in jail or fighting in these conflicts. Russia was recently added to the list because of its war with Ukraine.
India was on the list due to Kashmir Issue
India was put on the list in view of the Kashmir issue. It has been mentioned that young boys in Kashmir have been recruited by the armed group in Jammu and Kashmir and are then detained by the security forces on grounds of their association with the armed groups.
Pakistan has been aggressively using these issues against India at the UN. It repeatedly cited this report in the discussions of Kashmir issues and tried to defame India at the UN, while itself being on this list of shame.
India’s Efforts to protect children in Kashmir
India explained to the UNSG how it has been engaged with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) to better protect children in Kashmir.
The SRSG team visited India in July 2022 which was followed by multiple efforts to better the condition under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the J&K Government.
Officials from the Ministry of WCD said that this was achieved due to various policies and institutional changes introduced since 2019. WCD Secretary Indevar Pandey has been in constant touch with the UN regarding this matter. He informed that many important systems were not in place in J&K earlier like the Juvenile Justice Act was not implemented.
Now the required infrastructure is in place. Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Care homes have been established. Many of the UN-suggested measures have been implemented and some are underway. There has been special training provided to the security forces on child protection. The use of pellet guns is already suspended and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) is implemented.
Much has been possible after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. In a recent event “national security conclave” held in Kashmir, defence minister Rajnath Singh talked about how Kashmir is on a developmental path ahead. It has received its first infrastructure FDI. He hoped that soon there will be permanent peace in Kashmir and the AFSPA will be lifted.
In his report last year, Mr. Guterres welcomed India’s efforts with the special representative on improving the condition and said that this might lead India off the list of concerned countries.
Removal of India from the list is a big blow to Pakistan. The Kashmir issue has been Pakistan’s biggest propaganda to defame India on the world stage. Pakistan and its friendly countries had damaged Kashmir’s image to a large extent on the world platform. It is a big achievement for India to be removed from the report.
