SC to examine involvement of kids in protests
A 12-YEAR OLD GIRL WROTE TO THE CJI ABOUT A 4-MONTH-OLD WHO PASSED AWAY IN DELHI ON JANUARY 30 AFTER HE WAS TAKEN TO SHAHEEN BAGH PROTESTS EVERYDAY
NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court will examine the issue of involvement of children and infants in demonstrations and protests after a 12-year old Mumbai girl wrote to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde highlighting the fate of the four-month old Mohammad Jahan who passed away in Delhi on January 30 after he was taken to Shaheen Bagh protests by his mother every day.
In her letter to the CJI, Zen Gunratan Sadavarte, a recipient of Indian Council for Child Welfare National Bravery Award 2019, urged the court to direct authorities to stop involvement of infants and children in demonstrations and protests.
The letter led to the registration of the case titled “In Re To Stop Involvement Of Children And Infants In Demonstrations And Agitations In View Of Death Of An Infant On 30.01.2020 At Shaheen Bagh New Delhi”.
The matter has been listed for hearing on February 10 before a bench of CJI SA Bobde and justices Surya Kant and BR Gavai.
The letter by Sadavarte pointed out that as per news reports, Jahan’s mother had told that he passed away after contracting “severe cold and congestion due to exposure to winter chills at the outdoor demonstration where she used to take him.”
Sadavarte stated that the Shaheen Bagh protestors include women, children and new born babies and bringing children to such protests is violative of their right to life under Article 21 and amounts to torture and cruelty.
“Ignoring the conditions unfavourable to children, they are brought to the protest place which is violative of their child rights”, the letter stated.
Sadavarte, therefore, prayed for directions to be issued to appropriate authorities to ensure that children and infants are not involved in protests and demonstrations.
She also sought a police probe into the death of Mohammed Jahan alleging that the death certificate issued by Alshifa hospital where he was declared dead does not mention the reasons for the death of the child.
Shaheen Bagh has been the epicenter of protests in the national capital against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The CAA amends Section 2 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which defines “illegal migrants” by adding a proviso to Section 2 (1)(b). As per this new proviso, any person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, and who have been exempted by the Central Government under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or the Foreigners Act, 1946, shall not be treated as “illegal migrant.”