Armed Conflict and Child Rights in North-East India, with Particular Reference to Assam

Author(s): Anwesha Hazarika

Abstract:

North-East India is the easternmost region of India comprising of eight states. The region is known for its depository richness of natural beauty. However, the geographic distance from the rest of India, at the same time makes it unique even with regard to its socio-political context. There exist 350 tribal communities through-out the eight North-East states, with a population of around 35 million. The NE states shares international borders with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China. The appalling interstate disputes crippling the North-East of India has although lessened with time but certainly the active presence of several Non-state actors like separatist military groups (both armed and unarmed), reinforcing insurgency and secessionism in the region, has the created the history of invoking fear, terror and violence in the region. Similarly, in Assam, the armed conflict against the state and intra or inter-state ethnic conflict has led to tremendous child rights violation. Recruitment of child soldiers, exploitation, killings, kidnappings, sexual violence and multiple deprivations, internal displacements are a few instances, of the impact on children because of the active functioning of the insurgents groups, like ULFA, KLA and NDFB specially. Human Rights violations are still ongoing under the carpet, but children from different areas of Assam are voluntarily or involuntarily, fallen trap into the vicious circle. Although the state legislations and the statutory bodies are the responsible stakeholders for child rights protection, but there is misrepresentation of the number of children involved or sympathetic to the armed rebellious groups. This paper shall study how separatist movement has targeted children and how the state is responding to such intricacies, in today’s time. The study shall be totally be based on secondary sources of data collection.

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