In the quiet corners of Assam, beyond the noise of cities and the reach of statistics, there are stories that rarely find space in headlines — stories of children struggling against poverty, neglect, exploitation, abuse, child marriage, trafficking, substance abuse, emotional abandonment, and the silent loss of childhood itself. As a Member of the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, my field visits and case interventions across different districts of Assam have shown me a reality that is both deeply painful and vital.
My journey in the Commission is not merely about attending meetings, conducting monitoring visits, creating awareness, doing research activities or handling official case files. It is a journey into the silent pain, hidden tears, untold fears and untold struggling stories of countless children across Assam.
What I felt is that behind every case file lies a child……a heartbeat……a dream interrupted too early. Every monitoring visit to Anganwadi Centres, Child Care Institutions, schools, observation homes, Rehabilitation centres, or vulnerable communities reminds me that child protection is not merely an administrative responsibility — it is a moral responsibility of society as a whole.
During field interactions, one of the most concerning issues repeatedly emerging is the vulnerability of children due to poverty and lack of awareness. Many families, despite loving their children deeply, remain unaware of the long-term consequences of child marriage, school dropouts, trafficking networks, substance abuse, and digital exploitation. In several areas, adolescent girls continue to face pressure of early marriage, often resulting in teenage pregnancy, health complications, and school drop outs leading to discontinuation of education.
What is particularly heartbreaking is that many children suffer silently. Some cases reveal emotional neglect more than physical deprivation. A child may have food and clothing, yet lack affection, safety, guidance, and emotional security. During counselling sessions and rescue interventions, I have met children whose eyes carried fear far beyond their age. Such moments leave a permanent impact on anyone working in this field.
Monitoring visits across Anganwadi Centres in Assam have also highlighted both challenges and hope. In many centres, frontline workers are trying their best with limited resources. Their dedication towards nutrition, pre-school education, immunization awareness, and child welfare deserves appreciation. At the same time, infrastructural gaps, lack of sanitation, irregular attendance, nutritional deficiencies, and insufficient awareness among guardians still need urgent attention.
Another alarming concern is the increasing exposure of children to unsafe digital spaces. Mobile phones and internet access have reached even remote regions, but awareness regarding cyber safety has not kept pace. Children today are vulnerable not only in physical spaces but also in virtual spaces. Parents and guardians must understand that emotional supervision is as important as academic supervision.
I have seen resilient children determined to continue education despite hardship. I have witnessed mothers fighting social pressure to protect their daughters from early marriage. I have met Child welfare officers, teachers, Anganwadi workers, social workers, police officials, Media persons, NGOs , community volunteers, District Administration who work tirelessly to safeguard children. These efforts remind us that change is possible when institutions and society work together. But government machinery alone cannot remain present inside every home, every mobile phone, every conversation, or every social space.
Crime prevention ultimately requires society itself to become alert and responsible. Parents must communicate openly with children. Communities must stop normalising harmful practices. Schools must focus on emotional wellbeing alongside academics. Citizens must report suspicious activities instead of ignoring them. And most importantly, children must feel safe enough to speak.
A department can create systems. Laws can create fear of punishment. But only society can create an environment where crime finds no space to grow. The fight against crime is therefore not only administrative — it is social, emotional, moral, and collective. As someone working closely in the field, I have understood one important truth — children do not only need protection through laws; they need protection through humanity.
I often return home after field visits carrying stories that are difficult to forget. Some nights, the faces of those children haunts me — their questions, their silence, their helplessness. As someone entrusted with the responsibility of child rights, such moments affect me deeply professionally as well as emotionally too.
But despite all these painful realities, I still carry hope.
Hope when I see a rescued child returning to school. Hope when parents decide not to marry off their daughter early. Hope when communities unite against trafficking and abuse. Hope when a child smiles again after trauma. Every child deserves a safe childhood. Every child deserves love before responsibility and every child deserves dreams before survival.
The future of Assam will not only be decided in offices or institutions. It will be decided in how we treat our children today — especially the most vulnerable ones. Because somewhere in a small village, in a crowded town, or in a silent corner of our society, a child is still waiting… not for sympathy, but for a chance to simply live as a child.
Child protection cannot succeed through government mechanisms alone. It requires active participation from parents, educational institutions, local communities, religious and social organizations, and responsible citizens. Every child deserves not only survival but dignity, safety, education, emotional care, and opportunity.
Myself being closely attached to these realities, I believe that the future of Assam depends on how we treat our children today. A society that protects its children protects its future. Silence towards child abuse, trafficking, child labour, or child marriage only strengthens the cycle of vulnerability.
We must collectively build an Assam where every child feels safe, heard, respected, and empowered to dream.
The responsibility belongs to all of us.
(The article is solely the opinion of the author. The views expressed here are solely personal and not in any way connected to any organisation or any political party.)
Writer is the member, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR)