Identify and counsel children participating in Shaheen Bagh protests: NCPCR

The apex child rights body has asked authorities to identify and arrange counselling for children seen at protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi. In a letter to the District Magistrate of South East Delhi, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said the children "may suffer from mental trauma" as a result of "rumours and miscommunication".

"We received a complaint that children are traumatised that they will not be able to show their documents, and acting on it the NCPCR wrote to the District Magistrate and asked (the official) to identify and arrange counselling for children, seen at protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Shaheen Bagh, and their parents," NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo told PTI on Tuesday.

Thousands of people, including women and children, are protesting for over a month at Shaheen Bagh and nearby Jamia Millia Islamia to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act protests (CAA) and the National Register (NRC). According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

It does not include Muslims. Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA along with the NRC is intended to target the Muslim community in India. However, the central government has dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the law is intended to give citizenship to the persecuted people from the three neighbouring countries and not to take away citizenship from anyone.