The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu Kashmir has released a report stating that the abrogation of Article 370 has contributed to social and structural changes which children have most keenly felt.
In its Special Report 2022, the forum comprising Justice A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of the Madras and Delhi high courts, Gopal Pillai, the former government of India home secretary, and many other judges, activists, and lawyers have highlighted violations of human and child rights in the Jammu Kashmir with special attention to the children, The Wire reported.
“The joys of children have been taken away by an alarming deficiency in the distribution of critical resources including a protective justice delivery system and an environment that promotes mental health,” the report stated.
The report states that teenagers continue to be harassed, picked up for questioning and are illegally detained, in complete violation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
“Children as young as 18 months old have become victims of the weapons used by Government forces for “crowd control”, prompting the United Nations Security Council to express concern over ‘grave violations against children’ in a May 2021 report. Even though they are protected against detention or arrest, Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) carried out by the armed forces use children,” the report notes.