ISLAMABAD - The Child Right Movement (CRM), a coalition of likeminded NGOs and INGOs, has expressed its grave concern over the recent incidents of physical and psychological harassment of children at schools and homes, to the extent that to them death appeared as the only possible escape.
Within the month of May the society has been exposed to distressing news like, “an 11-year six grader set himself ablaze with 90 percent burns after being humiliated by the teachers at school (died two days later)”.
“Disappointed from school and home the 8-year-old committed suicide in Abbottabad leaving behind his diary telling the tale of psychological torture he was going through during the last days of his life”.
“...Another 13-year-old six grader unable to bear the pain of shame and guilt induced by the teachers at his school and parents at home gave away his life in Paposh Nagar Karachi”; at the tender age of 13`years a boy could not bear the pain of shame induced by teachers and set himself ablaze now hospitalized with 50 percent burns in Muzzafargarh.
These are just few of the reported incidents. All the member organizations of CRM strongly protest these shameful acts of physical and psychological violence against children and demanded of all the three pillars of state - Parliament, Judiciary and Executive to take immediate remedial steps to set things straight before it is too late because more than children’s suicide is tantamount to genocide of our future generation.
The CRM demands immediate introduction of prohibition against corporal punishment bill (pending since 2009) at the capital as well as in Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh, and proper Implementation of Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010 in KPK.
They also urgd educating the general masses on negative effects of corporal punishment, child sexual abuse, child domestic labour, child marriages by involving civil society, through electronic and print media.
