DMK orator Vijaya appointed as TN child rights commission chief

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has appointed Pudukkottai Vijaya, a DMK orator, as the chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR).

Six new members — M Casimir Raj, a child rights activist who works with Don Bosco Anbu Illam in Salem; Mona Matilda Basker, a paediatrician who has co-authored a research paper on survivors of child sexual abuse; R Jeya Sudha and V Ushanandini, who had formerly worked with Child Welfare Committees; V Selvendiran, a former member of SC/ST district committee; and Sri Kavya Nagarajan from Coimbatore — have also been appointed to the commission. The appointments have been made more than three years after end of the previous team’s tenure.

While appointments to the commission after such a long gap have been welcomed, child rights activists and civil society members expressed disappointment over the continuing trend of people with political affiliations being appointed to such posts overlooking candidates with proven track record in child welfare. Activists have also urged the government to empower the commission to effectively fulfil its mandate.

“The chairperson post of the key child rights body in the state continues to be treated as a reward for party loyalty, regardless of which political party is in power and the present appointments are not an exception.

“Among the newly appointed members, one is a known child rights activist and two others have prior experience serving on child welfare committees. Two of the remaining appointees, however, have no significant or sustained background in child rights advocacy or related work,” said a child rights activist. Vijaya said that though she has not been actively involved in child rights work, she has been supporting kids in care homes for past 10 years.