Children's Bill...relief finally

submitted by the author to TGF on May 13, 2003

A sigh of relief, finally.

I’m praying that the Children’s Bill 2003, has more teeth than bark. And I’m hoping that when push comes to shove, these teeth will draw blood as well.

The landmark bill introduced in the State of Goa -- with a notorious reputation of being a playground for devils in disguise do-gooders -- comes as a huge sigh of relief. Simply because the bill seeks to protect and uphold the rights of all children in its totality. A move I’m going to moot for all that its worth.

But not before telling you that I too have been victim of indifference at some point too. At a concert held in the city recently, two little children approached me begging for alms way beyond the witching hour. Through years of conditioning, trying not to get affected over things you have little control over, (sometimes you even take it for granted) I brushed them aside asking them to leave. Immediately. There were guests to be looked after and little time to be generous. I asked a friend to do the dirty work. And then shrunk inside my clothes when he threw me a hard, piercing, dirty look. Proceeding to cut large chunks of cake (which we had got our fingers into), he filled in two plates, placed them in their hungry hands and then politely asked them to leave. The kids disappeared into the dark of the night. It was not until later – when I sat down for a bite myself -- that my insensitive gesture got to me. Where did those kids come from and where did they disappear to? And did I discriminate them because they were homeless, hopeless and hence hapless? Just imagine the levels of hostility children born on the wrong side of society have to go through day in and day out, for simply being born on the wrong side of society. I was just another face in their world. It didn’t make a difference. Not a pleasant thought to sleep over.

The bill seeks to correct what we, as adults, have taken for granted as pity. It’s a nice word to mouth when we discuss pedophilia, but personally do nothing to contribute in some way to stop it. It’s a nice emotion to capitalise upon when we talk about child labour at a party and then go home and wake up your 10-year-old hired help from sleep to make you a cup of tea. It’s a nice gesture to tip a street urchin pulling at your sleeve with a Rs 5 note, in the company of friends, and then haggle at the market place over a Rs 1 bag to stuff your fish into. We live by example talking about doing away with discrimination when you won’t allow your own kids to play with a differently abled child because he/she is not `normal.’

We have all been guilty of these sins at some point or the other.

Fortunately, this bill now helps to channelise what society must do to protect and uphold the rights of the wronged through mechanisms that will foster better awareness and education of equality, irrespective of origin, ethnicity, gender, caste, religion, language, class and health. For one, I know that the Children Rights of Goa (CRG), an NGO reputed for doing good work amongst those discriminated, will be happy. It will provide much succor to their efforts.

What I sincerely hope this bill will seek to achieve, and we must vigorously protest now, is to come down heavy and mercilessly on those who make their living, living off the young bodies of innocent children. The very thought of it horrifies me. But this is a truth we cannot run away from, not when Goa infamously boasts of a child-prostitution racket that spans through different countries. And I don’t have to mention Freddy Peats again. We have to come down strongly on these kind of revolting human beings, which prey on children and scar them for life with their inhuman debauchery. We can do it by being vigilant, by educating ourselves that the rich, over generous uncle who lives down the road (and predictably adored by kids), could have much more up his sleeve than playing Santa Claus. We can do it by listening to what our children have to say about adults they interact with (half the problems could be settled if only we learn to listen), and using intelligence to smell potential trouble even before it happens. We can take the next step forward and ensure that our law enforcing authorities know when to bite and how, when the quality of life of a child is threatened – in spirit, in action and in thought. Every child, whether yours or mine, deserves a better childhood in order to grow to its full potential as an adult. It is our responsibility to ensure what we bring into life, does not end up in the grave cursing. Hopefully, this bill, which I’m pinning so much hope upon, rectifies the mistakes we have allowed to happen through sheer insensitivity, ignorance and fear of shame.

While we have gone to lengths identifying trouble spots, let the government also take upon itself the task of accountability and responsibility, which is cleaning up its act in ensuring that government run homes and their staff do not fall prey to lethargy. If we bite, let it bleed. That should send a clear-cut message to all those who think they can get away with crime committed on a population that cannot fight back. This the government must ensure will soon end. Only then can we call ourselves a progressive state.

Ethel Da Costa
May13, 2003

Ethel Da Costa  is a senior Goan journalist and editor of Insight and Mirror, both magazines  of the Goa Herald.  She also covers Goa for  Femina, India's premier magazine for women produced by The Times of India. Ethel writes that she loves her work and finds it to be fun, writing about issues she believes in..

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