‘Provide children with disabilities equal opportunities, status’

Srinagar, Aug 3: In a concerted effort to advance the protection and welfare of children with disabilities, the Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court of J&K and Ladakh today organized its Annual Consultation on the “Protection of Children with Disabilities” at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), here.

The Consultation was inaugurated by Chief Justice (A), Tashi Rabstan, who is also Chairman, Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court of J&K and Ladakh in the august presence of Justice Atul Sreedharan; Justice Sindhu Sharma; Justice Javed Iqbal Wani; Justice Mohd. Akram Chowdhary and Justice Mohd. Yousuf Wani. The other Judges of High Court of J&K and Ladakh graced the occasion virtually.

The Consultation meet was organised by the Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh under the aegis of Child Welfare Committee, Supreme Court of India in association with UNICEF, and Agri Industries Vikas Chamber and Social Welfare Department, UT of J&K as well as Social and Tribal Affairs Department, UT of Ladakh.

The Chief Justice (A) in his inaugural address discussed the critical issues faced by children with disabilities and the efforts needed to provide them with equal opportunities and status. He shared insights on the welfare schemes and the gaps in their implementation, urging all stakeholders to work collaboratively for the betterment of these children.

Justice Rabstan also acknowledged the crucial role of NGOs and social organisations in uplifting the lives of children with disabilities. He called for tapping and channelising resources from these organisations to organize awareness programs and reach out to the beneficiaries effectively.

He also emphasised on the importance of collective effort in creating an inclusive society where every child, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to thrive. He called upon all stakeholders to work together to ensure that children with disabilities are given the respect, care and opportunities they deserve.

Justice Atul Sreedharan, in his address shared the data of children with disabilities to impress upon that the States having good Health Care and educational facilities were having low ratio of children with disabilities.

Justice Sindhu Sharma, in her keynote address emphasized the importance of safeguarding and empowering children with disabilities. She highlighted the challenges these children face, such as social stigma, discrimination, and limited access to education and healthcare.

Justice Javed Iqbal Wani while delivering his special address, focused on the legislative frameworks that safeguard the rights of children with disabilities, including the Juvenile Justice Act, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, and other pertinent child protection laws.

Justice Wani highlighted the necessity for stringent enforcement of these laws and the crucial role of judicial oversight in ensuring that the rights of children with disabilities are upheld.

In his welcome address, Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, Juvenile Justice Committee gave an overview of the programme and said that this UT level Consultation is being organised by the JJ Committee with a purpose to discuss comprehensive approaches to uphold and promote the rights and well-being of children with disabilities. The gathering aimed to foster collaboration, share insights, and develop an action plan for the future, ensuring better protection and support for children with disabilities.

The consultation unfolded across a series of meticulously curated technical sessions that illuminated the multifaceted aspects of protection of children with disabilities. The first technical session was chaired by Principal Secretary to Chief Justice, M. K. Sharma, focusing on the topic “Overview of Schemes, Services and Provisions for Children with Disability in the Dept. Of Women & Child Development, Social Justice & PRD”.

The Resource persons Sheetal Nanda, Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare UT of J&K and Padma Angmo, Commissioner Secretary, Social and Tribal Affairs Department, UT of Ladakh underlined various Govt Welfare Schemes which can be utilized by the Persons with Disability.

Sheetal Nanda further highlighted some of the institutional initiatives that would safeguard children with special abilities.

The second part of the first session delved upon the Education & Health perspectives of the Schemes and Services for children with disabilities.

The second and third technical Sessions were chaired by Rajinder Sapru, Registrar Rules and M. Iqbal Lone, Commissioner, Disabilities respectively wherein focus was laid on the topics “Juvenile Justice and Children with Disabilities synchronization with focus on identification semantics hard and soft skills and infrastructure” and “Way Forward with challenges and opportunities on children with Disability and Child Protection (Focusing on Children in conflict with Law, Children in need of Care and Protection, Skilling/ Workforce strengthening)”.

The Resource persons were Bharti Ali, Child Rights & Juvenile Justice Expert and Renu Anuj Singh, Director, Rural Services, Action for ability development and inclusion.

The last technical session which was chaired by Y. P. Bourney, Director, J&K Judicial Academy focused on the Police perspective in implementation of schemes and rehabilitation services. Owais Wani, DYSP, JKPS, SDPO Charar-i-Sharief was the resource person for the session. On the occasion, the Concluding remarks were presented by Hilal Bhat, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF, J&K and the vote of thanks was proposed by Nusrat Ali Hakak, Secretary, DLSA Ganderbal.