Why is the ‘deafening silence’ of a nine year old global climate activist so mysterious? Is the activist a child in conflict with law or in need of care and protection?
By Paojel Chaoba
Criminal mastermind and con-artist Kangujam Kanarjit (KK) was arrested from Delhi in the wee hours of Monday last. It has been four complete days that KK has been in police custody, his mobile was confiscated after the arrest. Coincidentally, his globally acclaimed activist daughter, Lucy’s (name changed) social media handles have suddenly fallen silent for the same last four days. Many are inquiring why?
According to a report in The Print, many activists and students who have been duped by Kanarjit feel that he was using his daughter Lucy. “We sincerely request the Ministry of External Affairs in sync with concerned bodies to also ensure that the young girl is not being exploited by her own father for his own vested interests and for his own career,” said a letter written by an Indian National Youth awardee Madhish Parikh along with other youth activists in March 2020.
The World Children Peace Award given to Lucy in 2019 was given by KK’s organization, the International Youth Committee secretary only. So, it is the now arrested father’s organization member who was giving awards to his own daughter. After KK was arrested Monday last, the very active account of her daughter Lucy on Facebook, which is just two supporters short of reaching 98,000 followers has suddenly fallen silent with invisible activity. The same silence is also palpable with her twitter handle. By now, netizens have started questioning if KK was actually controlling the social media handles.
Sasidharan Nair, a senior citizen on a comment to Republic TV news thread, regarding KK’s arrest said, “At nine, what she knows about climate? A third standard student should be studying and playing as a toddler. The parent should be booked for abusing her childhood for fame and money and the NGOs supporting them also should be charged for clandestine works and violating protection of children’s acts. They must be hardcore fraudsters living on their daughter.”
However, there has been even more interesting and ridiculous development to the issue back home in Manipur. The Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR), in a press release issued in pdf format bearing Lucy’s name and bearing notification number 24/6/2020 and dated June 1, signed by the chairperson states that disclosure of a child’s identity directly infringes the right of the child under section 3 (XI)- Principle of Right to Privacy and confidentiality and under section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA), 2015.The Commission ordered that image and name of the acclaimed child activist should be removed from social media. MCPCR notifies -all those who have directly or indirectly disclosed the child’s identity through social media platforms, to delete their post immediately.
As per this special Act for children, one and all know that it is applicable to children who are in conflict with law or those who are in need of care and protection. Section 3 (XI) Principal of right to privacy and confidentiality: Every child shall have a right to protection of his privacy and confidentiality, by all means and throughout the judicial process. Further section 74 of the JJ Act -Prohibition on disclosure of identity of children state that, “No report in any newspaper, magazine, news-sheet or audio-visual media or other forms of communication regarding any inquiry or investigation or judicial procedure, shall disclose the name, address or school or any other particular, which may lead to the identification of a child in conflict with law and in need of care and protection. In simple words, the JJ act is only for the children who are perpetrating criminal activities or associated with criminals. And the children like orphans or victims who are in need of protection and care. The sections mentioned say that there shall be no communication on any medium which shall or can disclose the child who is a criminal or one in need of care.
However, the MCPCR has said in its press release (in pdf format) which is available with The Frontier Manipur clearly mentions the name of the child. Plus the press release also states, “It has come to the notice of MCPCR that various print and electronic media outlets, including social media are indiscriminately disclosing the identity of the child of Shri KK Singh, who was arrested from Delhi by a joint team of Delhi and Manipur Police,” It is public knowledge now that KK Singh is the father of Lucy.
It is yet to ascertain if KK Singh was using his daughter in his criminal activities but the MCPCR following the press release and post the arrest of KK feels that Lucy comes under the category of section 3 (XI) and section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act and that the renowned global child activist according to the MCPCR-is a child in conflict with law or a child in need of care and protection.
Monthu Ahanthem, a child rights activist earlier told TFM, “An appeal to all my friends in the social media, let us stop discriminating and victimizing an innocent girl called (actual name removed) just because her near and dear ones are criminal, let the law of the land take its course of action, let us bring an amicable situation in the best interest of the child. The father should be booked if found guilty of using his daughter for illegal activities as per the Juvenile Justice Act sections 74 to 85 read with Rules 56,57,58,59,60) The Imphal East police are presently investigating the frauds committed by Lucy’s father who has been in custody for ongoing last four days-four days of which Lucy’s social media handles are silent (she was very active on social media).The oxygen drive done though Ketto had collected around 75 lakhs and it was reported in Ichel Express that a volunteer of ‘Team Lucy’ had tried to collect money from hiring out concentrators which were supposedly given free of cost. Some volunteers are also presently in the custody of Imphal East police station. It is now up to the MCPCR if they will physically intervene in protecting Lucy.