The Hindu : NHRC notice to T.N. on village ritual

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

NHRC notice to T.N. on village ritual

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Aug. 26. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued notice to the Tamil Nadu Government seeking a report into the incident in Madurai district in Tamil Nadu on August 21 where children were buried alive by their parents as part of a religious ritual.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the event, which was conducted in a temple at Perayur village in the presence of a Tamil Nadu Minister, the Commission wrote to the Chief Secretary asking for a report within four weeks.

The incident, reported widely in the press, involved children, being drugged and buried alive by their parents to propitiate two local deities. The Housing and Urban Development Minister C Durairaj, was the "chief guest'' at the event.

This is not the first time the NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of events, reported in the media, which in effect amount to violation of the rights of children. In the past, it focussed on issues as different as the trafficking of children, the arrest and imprisonment of juveniles and cases of children falling ill due to consumption of adulterated or poisonous food.

The Commission has taken an active stance on the practice of child marriages in Rajasthan and is now involved in drafting a child marriage restraint act along with the National Commission of Women.

It is also involved in a consultative exercise on the matter of heavy school bags with education authorities and children.

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