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Naxalites continue to use children to fight in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh: UN chief

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The UN Secretary General’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict says children being coerced by naxals to work as couriers, informants, fighters

In a report that paints an abysmal picture of the state of Indian children in areas infested by naxalites, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that the “UN continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, including the Naxalites, in particular in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.”

The remarks made in the UN chief’s annual report titled Children and Armed Conflict which was released in New York on Thursday by Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict are, however, qualified with the rider that says: “Owing to access restrictions for monitoring and reporting, the United Nations was unable to verify these incidents.”

While the latest report has collated data of incidents involving children in areas affected by armed conflicts in 20 countries across the globe during the period from January to December 2016, a similar report released by the then UN chief Ban Ki-moon for the corresponding period of the previous year had red-flagged the same issue.

However, the latest report shows that the prevalence of the use of children by Naxalites and other armed groups had come down to only two Indian states compared to six in 2015.

The 2015 Children in Armed Conflict report had said: “children were coerced to join children’s units (“Bal Dasta”), where they were trained and used as couriers and informants, to plant improvised explosive devices and in front-line operations against national security forces…The United Nations continued to receive reports of the recruitment and use of children as young as 6 years of age by armed groups, including the Naxalites, in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal.”

The report released by Gamba on Thursday says: “Armed groups reportedly resorted to abduction and threats against parents in order to recruit children, who subsequently underwent military training and served as messengers, informants or guards in child squads.”

The report recounts some reported incidents to endorse the claims. It says: “In March, the police relocated 23 children under threat of abduction by armed groups in Gumla district, Jharkhand, and supported their enrolment in schools. However, unverified reports suggest that police may be using children formerly associated with armed groups as informants, potentially making them targets for retaliation.”

The UN Secretary General had in 2015 asserted that the “abduction of children, especially girls, by armed groups was a serious concern” and that these children “are subjected to further grave violations and abuses, and have been forced to serve in combat functions, exposed to sexual violence and, reportedly, used as human shields.”

The latest report claims that “Children continued to be killed and injured in the context of operations of national security forces against Maoist armed groups” and quotes data collected from the India’s Union Ministry of Home Affairs to say: “the number of civilians killed in these encounters increased to 213, compared with 171 in 2015”.

The UN chief notes further that information provided by the Indian government suggests that “at least 30 schools were burned and partially destroyed by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, government reports confirmed the military use of four schools by security forces in that region for several weeks.”

In what the report terms as a “troubling development”, Guterres says: “Maoists were allegedly running several schools in Chhattisgarh and included combat training as part of their curriculum.”

The UN chief says further that “in the light of persistent reports of the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, I call upon the (Indian) Government to develop appropriate mechanisms to protect children from recruitment (by naxalites and other armed groups), as well as to separate and reintegrate recruited children.”

Guterres has assured that the UN “stands ready to assist (the Indian government) in this process.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

BJP to contest all 13 Punjab Lok Sabha seats for first time since 1996, says state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar

Jakhar said that the Lok Sabha election was the most appropriate time for the BJP to contest independently, as the state is looking for an option

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Punjab BJP state President Sunil Jakhar recently said that his party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha sears in the state independently. The BJP has not allied with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) since 1996.

Sunil Jakhar in an interview with a news publication, said that this decision signifies a new chapter in the party’s strategy in Punjab. The BJP had allied with the SAD in Punjab for over two decades, and is considered to be a major coalition in the state’s political landscape.

The BJP state chief noted that the decision to contest independently was taken on the account of the feedback from the public and party members, reflecting a growing sentiment within the BJP to establish a stronger, independent presence in Punjab.

Jakhar continued that the Lok Sabha election was the most appropriate time for the BJP to contest independently, as the state is looking for an option. He asserted that Punjab tried out-of-the-box experiment in form of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but are dissappointed with them.

He further highlighted the BJP’s work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly in securing minimum support prices for farmers, as key accomplishments that the party will present to the electorate. This development follows as the BJP aims to consolidate its position and expand its influence in Punjab.

Notably, the SAD was one of the oldest allies of the BJP. Nonetheless, the SAD severed ties with the NDA in September 2020 over the now repealed farm laws that saw widespread protests in northern India.

Speaking about coalition with SAD, the BJP state chief said that the alliance was not political but a social one. He added that the party is facing a battle of survival, and that its leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has sins to wash of, including the drug problem and sacrilege cases.

Election in Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha seats is scheduled for June 1, 2024. This development is expected to significantly alter the dynamics of the electoral battle in Punjab, traditionally dominated by the SAD-BJP coalition and the Congress party.

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3-year-old found dead inside Patna school drain, crowd sets school on fire

Superintendent of Police Chandra Prakash said an investigation is launched and three people have been arrested

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Protests erupted in Bihar’s capital after a three-year-old child was found dead in a private school in the city. The body of the child was discovered in the school’s sewage system, prompting a mob of protesters to attack the building and attempt to set it on fire.

The tragic finding was reportedly made when the child’s family began looking for him after he did not came back home from school. As soon as they went to the school, family members began to suspect more after school administrators allegedly made an effort to divert questions regarding the child’s whereabouts.

The family continued in their quest to find the truth, which finally led them to a devastating revelation. The three-year-old’s body was discovered hidden in a drainage gutter deep within the school grounds.

Soon the local authorities were informed about the incident after which the police launched the investigation. Superintendent of Police Chandra Prakash said, the child was observed entering the school but did not exit.

Chandra Prakash said the child was observed entering the school in the CCTV video, but he was never seen exiting the school grounds. The school was hiding the body, which indicates criminal intent, therefore the police will look into it as a murder case, he added. An investigation is launched and three people have been arrested, Chandra Prakash added.

The parents rushed to the streets seeking justice for their child. They  claimed that the school was trying to hide what had happened to their child. The angry protesters blocked traffic on roads and set fire to school walls. The cowrd also blocked the road leading to school.

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Swati Maliwal undergoes medical check-up, internal injuries on face

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AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal sustained internal injuries in her face after being reportedly assaulted by an aide to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as per reports. Maliwal spent more than three hours on Friday at AIIMS, Delhi, having a medical examination.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has stepped up its hunt for Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s assistant, one day after filing a formal complaint in relation to the incident. After a Delhi Police squad recorded Maliwal’s statement at her home, a FIR was filed.

The former head of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said in her complaint that Bibhav Kumar had punched, kicked, slapped, and beat her with a stick.

Earlier, on Thursday evening, Swati Maliwal underwent a medical check-up for about four hours. Along with Maliwal, a Delhi Police squad arrived at AIIMS at 11 p.m. and left at 3:15 a.m. Maliwal was accompanied by Vandana Singh, a member of the Delhi Commission for Women. There was a CT scan and an X-ray.

Swati Maliwal has claimed in her lawsuit that she was repeatedly struck on sensitive body parts and subjected to physical assault.

Delhi Police has stepped up its investigation into the matter in the interim.A team of police reached Bibhav Kumar’s house, but he was not found.

Approximately ten police teams are looking into the matter; four of the units are tracking Bibhav’s whereabouts. According to sources, Bibhav might be in Amritsar. Additionally, since the INDIA bloc is planned to have a rally in Mahrashtra, police believe Bibhav may be there.

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