The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has found financial irregularities in six childcare institutions in Assam and Manipur, running under the aegis of “Markazul Maarif”, established by AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. One of the six institutions received funds from an international Turkish NGO called İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı (IHH) linked Islamic terror group to Al-Qaeda, said the apex child rights body.
The child rights body on Friday said that according to the information provided to them by the child institution, only 778 children were residing in these homes located in Dhubri, Goalpara and Nagaon in Assam and one in Thoubal in Manipur.
However, according to AIUDF chief and MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, who established these homes, these homes house 1,010 children.
“The website of Markazul Maarif also states that it is housing 1,080 children. Therefore, there is a discrepancy in the number of children disclosed by these homes to the inspection team and that available on the website of the Markazul Maarif. It is important to investigate this discrepancy and find out the status of these 300 children,” the NCPCR said.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) under section 13(1) (j) of CPCR Act, 2005 had taken cognizance on a complaint received from Legal Rights Observatory wherein allegations of violations of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 in children homes being run by Markaz Darul Yatama in Assam. The complainant had requested NCPCR to inspect these children homes/orphanages housing children as the condition of the children in these homes was alleged to be not good and there were further allegations of misuse of funds by these institutions.
Badruddin Ajmal under scanner, children home received funds from Turkey-based IHH, with alleged linked to Al-Qaeda
The inspection team was also informed that these institutions received funds from an international Turkey-based NGO IHH by one of the homes. The team also found a list of children who were the beneficiaries under this said project.
The children residing in these homes, according to NCPCR, was sponsored by an organization called IHH. As per available information, this Turkey-based NGO, IHH, had been interrogated by the Turkish Law Enforcement Agencies for their alleged links with Al-Qaeda, the report said.
The commission also expressed its fear over the details of children shared by these children home to this international NGO. The NCPCR further said that nearly 300 children of these homes were unaccounted for and it is important to investigate their status.
The Commission is also apprehensive about the development and teaching being given to the children in these homes who are being sponsored by such organizations involved in illegal activities.
“The safety and security of children living in these Homes are severely compromised and the Commission is unclear about the legality and intentions of this AKIKA project. In light of these serious observations made by the inspection team and further the inquiry of NCPCR in this matter, it is strongly recommended that an investigation by the NIA must be initiated to inquire into all these issues…,” it said.
“IHH which is based in Turkey for the implementation of AKIKA project in 2016. The team had found a list of children who were the beneficiaries under this said project. A list of children was also found that was prepared in 2017, these children were also sponsored by this organization IHH. As per available information this Turkey-based international NGO, IHH had been interrogated by the Turkish Law Enforcement Agencies for their alleged links with Al-Qaeda. The Commission is apprehensive about the development and teaching being given to the children in these Homes who are being sponsored by such organizations involved in illegal activities. Moreover, the Commission also apprehensive about the details of children which have must have been provided under the guise of AKIKA project to this international NGO. It is pertinent that the number of children must be verified who’s details must have been sent to IHH and also, verify the status of those children who are being sponsored by IHH and who’s details have been sent to IHH so as to ensure their well-being and safety”, the report said.
It is pertinent to note that recently, Turkey based NGO, İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı (IHH) was in the news after a Swedish research organisation, Nordic Monitor, had alleged an alliance between Turkic extremist group İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı (IHH) and radical Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). According to the report, the meeting was held on the 20th of October, 2018, seven months ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections in 2019.
The two key PFI leaders who attended the meeting were E.M. Abdul Rahiman and Prof. P. Koya, members of the National Executive Council of the PFI, the report claims. It was attended by IHH Secretary-General Durmuş Aydın and IHH Vice President Hüseyin Oruç as well and partnership in various fields were discussed.
The Nordic Monitor says that IHH works with Turkish intelligence service MIT, led by Erdogan loyalist Hakan Fidan, an Islamist as well. It also said that the PFI was promoted by Turkic state-run media Anadolu as a civic and social group the members of which were abused by Indian police. The IHH was accused to have smuggled arms to Al-Qaeda affiliated Jihadists in Syria in January 2014.
The Nordic Monitor also said that the Erdogan regime in Turkey is helping the IHH in global operations using its diplomatic clout. The PFI in India has been accused of involvement in numerous instances of violence and their members have been accused of murder as well. The Enforcement Directorate had accused the PFI of funding anti-CAA riots across the country.
Children were beaten up with bamboo sticks, no security for girls, finds child body
The inspection team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) submitted reports to the Manipur and Assam governments, in which it stated that it had found violations of several norms under the Juvenile Justice Act. The finding said that they found clogged and unhygienic toilets, lack of security for girls, evidence of use of corporal punishment with bamboo sticks.
“Bamboo sticks were found which were used for corporal punishment to discipline children. During informal discussions with staff members, it came out that sometimes they had to employ corporal punishment to discipline particularly difficult children.
During the inspection, it was found that these homes had not developed a child protection policy and did not institute the following mechanisms for prevention and protection of children from abuse. Some homes did not even install CCTVs.
“As there was no written child protection policy found in these homes and corporal punishment was used to discipline the children, these homes are in violation of Section 75 and Section 82 of JJ Act, 2015,” the report said.
Staff roamed insider girls’ home and their dormitories
One of the children residing in the home informed the inspection team that he has been beaten by these sticks. The NCPCR has now recommended registration of FIR against those committing such a serious offence. In addition to these observations, in one of the homes, the male staff from boys’ home were found roaming inside the girls’ home and going inside their dormitories.
“This was observed to pose a great security issue for girls staying in the home which would make them vulnerable to abuse,” the report said.
Some of these children home were not even registered. The inspection was carried out after NCPCR received a complaint by Legal Rights Observatory.
“In the said letter, NCPCR requested the SCPCR’s to constitute an inspection team and conduct an immediate inspection of these homes. To assist the team of SCPCRs in the inspection of these homes, two consultants from NCPCR also visited these homes for conducting an inspection and verifying the true and correct state of affairs in these children homes,” the NCPCR said in its report.
FIR against foundation run by AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal for receiving funds terrorist-linked orgs
A case was also registered against ‘Ajmal Foundation’, run by All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal recently accusing him of receiving foreign funding and utilising it in suspicious activities.
The complaint, was lodged by Satya Ranjan Borah was based on the report of Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), a legal rights body.
“Ajmal Foundation, an organisation run by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, chief of AIUDF, being funded by some foreign agencies which are related to funding different terrorist groups and their terror activities as reported by an NGO Legal Rights Observatory. Considering the report, we want a proper investigation in this connection under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Ajmal Foundation has misused those foreign funds in several anti-national activities,” Borah had alleged in the FIR.
We had reported earlier that legal activist group Legal Rights Observatory had accused Ajmal Foundation of receiving foreign funding to a tune of Rs 69.55 crore from various dubious sources which have been primarily engaged in terror financing and money laundering activities.