If a government officer brings his/her kids to office during their summer vacation, will it amount to human rights violation? Yes, believes the Kerala State Human Rights Commission. The KSHRC, in an order issued on April 4, has asked the state government to issue an order banning officers from bringing their wards to government offices.
The order issued to the state chief secretary has asked the government to take immediate steps and file a report to the commission.
“Common men and women come to government offices to seek solutions to their problems. Ever since the schools have been closed due to summer vacation, government offices have turned into a playground. It should not be allowed,'' says the commission order.
The commission also points out that most of the chairs in the government offices are now being occupied by children. “Computers in most offices are being used by kids. Similarly, government files and papers are being given to the children to draw pictures,'' the commission has pointed out.
The commission is of the view that by bringing kids to office, parents are doing them more harm than good and has asked the parents to find better alternatives to keep the kids engaged in a creative way rather than wasting the time and resources of the government.
The commission has issued the order following a complaint from an activist, Shefin Kowdiar.
According to Shefin, he decided to file the complaint after his own bad experiences at various government offices. “Many a time, I have seen children playing with government phones and computers. I have also seen officers behaving badly with the common man who approaches them as they are busy with the kids,” he said.
“Also, when kids of senior officials come, it is the lower-grade employees who have to take care of them... all these happen at the expense of the government,'' he said.
“I am happy that the commission has decided to address this human rights violation,” Shefin added.
The order, however, has not gone down well with government officers who are parents.
“I have two kids aged 10 and 12. Both my husband and I are working in the Secretariat. What will I do with the kids during the vacation? Hence, I bring them with me,” said a Secretariat employee working with the finance department.
When asked why they do not think about sending kids to summer camps, she said crèches and summer camps are “too expensive for middle-class people.”
Writer Lekshmy Rajeev also finds the KSHRC order insensitive. “Leaving the kids alone at home is very dangerous these days in many ways. There are also chances of them accessing internet without parental monitoring,” she said.
She insisted that the safety of kids is much more important than a few cardboards and papers being wasted at government offices. “Government should be open enough to forgo these wastes for the better safety of our kids,” she said.