State too benefitted from Nobel winner's fight

KOCHI: Much before the Nobel committee decided to confer the peace prize on Kailash Satyarthi, his fight for child rights had led to introduction of legal aid clinics in police stations in the city.
The Kanayannur taluk legal services authority has started 12 legal aid clinics, a helpline, in as many police stations under its jurisdiction and appointed para-legal volunteers to deal with complaints of missing children and other offences against children.This followed a Supreme Court directive on a petition filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, founded by Satyarthi.
"The first legal aid clinic was started at Ambalamukal police station before Onam and we plan to open them in all 22 police stations in the taluk at the earliest. We have provided the service of a panel of advocates and para-legal volunteers in these stations," said Anil G, secretary (sub judge), district legal services authority, Ernakulam.
He said the authority's initiative to form legal cells in educational institutions under its jurisdiction was yet to materialize.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the district legal services authority has engaged para-legal volunteers in all police stations.
However, much needs to be done on child trafficking cases. "We hope that the child rights commission will come up with a clear picture on the state of affairs in orphanages across the state," said Deepak, project officer of NGO Child Rights Observatory.
(With inputs from Sudha Nambudiri and Laxmi Ajai Prasanna)