Child Rights Contravened in Armed Conflicts - Protecting the Innocent Victims
- Divyanshu Sharma
- June 28, 2020
Content :
We live in a world where conflict can very easily take the form of war, by using arms, destroying life and property. The group of society most affected by these armed conflicts is that of children, who are innocent victims of armed conflicts. The author shall first deal with the emergence of individual rights of children in the arena of International law, through treaties and protocols. Then, this paper analyses the six grave violations which affect children in armed conflicts, both from an international perspective and from the Indian perspective. While looking into the six grave violations, the author portrays how these violations infringe on the rights guaranteed to these children, both by International Law and the Domestic Indian Law. The paper then looks into ways such children are rehabilitated into the society, by analyzing the relevant statutory provisions. These provisions include the legislative duty on the state to ensure rehabilitation through shelter homes, foster families, and protecting children through hotline numbers. The author also shows some instances of such provisions are conspicuously failing in the recovery of children affected by armed conflicts. Though these statutory safeguards place a duty on the state for rehabilitation, but public participation in the Indian society is almost negligible. The author suggests some ways of sensitizing the people about the condition of children in armed conflict and also how society can help in rehabilitating these children.
