"Children are citizens of present, not the future..": Guwahati HC CJ Ashutosh Kumar

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 25 (ANI): The Assam Police organised a keynote lecture on 'Institutionalising Child Friendly Practices Across the Justice Delivery Chain' in Guwahati on Tuesday.
The keynote address was delivered by Justice Ashutosh Kumar, Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court.
In his address, the Chief Justice reflected on the historical evolution and legal framework of child rights, while also highlighting the contemporary challenges in their protection.
During the keynote address, Chief Justice said that, "Children are not citizens of the future; they are citizens of the present. Therefore, we all have a responsibility to uphold the rights of children, as enshrined in the law."
He further added, "A strong legal framework alone cannot make the law work, unless we have empathy."
Assam Director General of police (DGP) Harmeet Singh, who is also the Chairperson of the Assam Police Sishu Mitra Programme, in his welcome address, spoke about the importance of keynote lectures such as this in promoting a context of child-friendly justice delivery and strengthening institutional sensitivity across the justice system.
Speaking at the gathering, DGP Singh said, "As the Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court mentioned in his keynote, we believe that empathy is core towards implementing children's rights. The Assam Police will continue to undertake measures to strengthen child-friendly responses at every stage of policing across the State."
The programme was also attended by Judges of the Guwahati High Court, including Justice Kalyan Rai Surana, Justice Arun Dev Choudhury and Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita.
Judges of POCSO Courts, Senior Officers from Government Departments and the Judiciary, Duty Bearers from the Child Protection System, and Officers of the Assam Police were also present at the event.
The programme was organised in collaboration with UNICEF and UTSAH Child Rights Organisation, an Assam-based child rights organisation. (ANI)