Swarms of Lobbyists’
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The problems Rouhani hails Panama yells with Kuwait’s Iran nuke deal, ‘robbery’ plan to collect chides after loss to our DNA3 conservatives12 Mexico47 Min 31º Max 50º FREE www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 16588- Friday, July 24, 2015 EgyptEgypt partyparty boatboat CAIRO: Egyptians look at the passenger boat that sunk in the river Nile in Giza, south of tragedytragedy killskills 1818 Cairo . — AP See Page 10 Local FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015 Local Spotlight Kuwait loses luster Putting the new child protection for educated laws into effect Indian youth By Muna Al-Fuzai [email protected] he National Assembly recently issued a law aimed at pro- tecting children from possible abuse or violations by Tfamily members or others. The law slots kids into various categories according to age and each pattern has been classi- fied. I’ve seen the articles of the law and consider them fairly good. Now we have a law to activate its articles, but I am wor- ried over ways of implementation and follow-up to provide maximum protection for the child, especially regarding physi- cal abuse at the hands of parents, relatives and maids. According to the law, this particular issue of physical abuse has a good share of treatment options and suggestions. But the problem is that such problems are rarely detected or spo- ken publicly, because a person who abuses a child will not expose himself, while the child does not understand written laws but understands what is in front of him or her. The child understands the code of society - that you cannot talk about any harm to your body because of the customs and traditions and possible mocking by others or punishment if the abuser is By Aakash Bakaya away from their parents’ (and in some job offers to back them up. This is not The first condition for any real cases grandparents’) footsteps? It may to say that Kuwait doesn’t have those was recently asked if I was interest- not be glaringly obvious but many jobs because it does, but I wanted to application of the law is to ed in joining any Indian youth Indians who have gone and finished work for clients that cater more to my recognize that we as a society are Igroup in Kuwait, to which I replied, their higher education in India are demographic,” she explained. “What youth groups?” Yes, there are a deciding to stay and work there. The I wanted to get another angle on not immune to such problems and few sports-related clubs mainly creat- prospects of Kuwait don’t seem to this train of thought, and so I got in that cases of violence within the ed by Indian schools and there are have the same appeal they once had touch with Karan. Another student of even a few culture-centric ones, but and there are thankfully now many Kuwait, Karan went to India to get a family against children mean we nothing in between. So why is there opportunities in booming India. degree in business management. His need to save the children sometimes such a lack not only of such groups, Saniaa is a copywriter working in dream was to start his own business but pretty much anything catering to an advertising agency in Mumbai. She and after three years of hard work, his even from their own parents. the youth of the sub-continent? The grew up in Kuwait, completed her self-made publishing house is now main reason for this lies in the simple entire schooling at the Jabriya Indian making a name for itself. I asked him fact that there aren’t many young School and then went to India for her why he didn’t want to start a business Indian workers living here. Kuwait is a parent or close relative. But this has nothing to do with any no longer drawing large numbers of tradition or religion. It is culture and ignorance that deprive young middle class, educated Indians children of knowledge of their rights, the detection of any as in days past. problems they might be exposed to and asking for help. I come from a long line of Indian The first condition for any real application of the law is to migrants who settled in Kuwait. My recognize that we as a society are not immune to such prob- grandfather came to this country by lems and that cases of violence within the family against chil- boat in 1955, and even when there dren mean we need to save the children sometimes even from was nothing here but barren desert, their own parents. We want a preventive program because the he along with the other hundreds of protection of the child is not only against violence or drugs, migrants saw something else - oppor- but a child can be beaten and deprived within the family tunity. Fast forward 30 years, my par- home. We want this issue to become the issue of public opin- ion, because what could happen may be unimaginable. ents met in Kuwait after working in There are numerous kinds of violations such as forcing chil- the same office and got married even dren to sell stuff on the street, which is often at the hands of though they are from two vastly dif- parents or relatives. Such an act is illegal because it has many ferent regions in India. They decided risks. Article 47 of the law prohibits child employment in jobs to settle down and start a family here that put their health, safety or morals at risk. No one can say and even came back after the Iraq that the street is a safe environment. We as members of socie- invasion. This story rings true for a ty and the media are obliged to call for the protection of these number of Indian expats whose higher education. At the end of her in the country of his youth, and he said, kids. It’s a really sad scene to see kids selling tissue boxes or grandparents came to Kuwait during final term, she received an offer in a “It’s simple really, sometimes when you small toys at traffic lights while moving from one vehicle to its early years and whose parents large ad agency in the heart of settle down in one place, you just don’t another or sitting curbside and selling day-old watermelons, stayed and raised their families here. Mumbai, and has never looked back. I want to leave.” often spending long hours in the heat. Families preferred the peace, safety asked her why she never thought of “India is growing and there is a ton This article aims to talk about the rights of these kids as and security of the country and want- returning and she said, “Even though I of opportunity for our generation here. human beings, who possibly get exposed to drug dealers or ed their kids to grow up here. did my schooling in Kuwait, the Generation X and millennials make up criminals or even verbal violence, and we must say something thought of working there was never the majority of an already massive pop- about this. A dinar will not solve this child’s problem. A child A changing land of opportunity really an option.” ulation and the money is here to live does not need a set of “locked drawer” laws, but wants laws So what has changed in the last 20 “I wanted to get into the advertising well. That was something our parents that facilitate safety and security from any kind of possible years? Why have the Indian youth, industry and not only did India have couldn’t say 30 years ago,” he added. harm for the benefit of all children, because the problem lies most of whom have grown up and fin- the educational courses to help me “Now, India is finding its own two feet in the activation of this law and not the way it is written. ished their schooling here, moved pursue my ambitions, it also had the and many are embracing that.” Local FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015 What can go wrong The possible problems with Kuwait’s plan to collect our DNA By Jamie Etheridge DNA is collected - and stored - by the state Interior Ministry’s Information Systems a challenge. How, then, will the government without parents’ knowledge or consent. The Management building in Hawally. set about collecting the DNA of all 4+ million hile I was on holiday, the Kuwait material is used in a variety of ways: DNA profiles provide a range of informa- of us? And once collected, how, when and parliament passed a law that will research, criminal investigations, legal cases tion, not only a way to indentify a terrorist or where will it be analyzed, and then stored? Wrequire mandatory DNA testing for and in some cases, genetic disease profiling. criminal. Medical information including genet- How will it be collated or connected to our all citizens and expatriate residents in Already opponents have pointed to con- ic diseases (or those that we might simply be civil ID numbers and what quality-control Kuwait. The law still needs to be approved cerns about infringement of privacy and there at-risk for) can be determined as well as famil- measures will be in place to protect us all by the Amir and published in the official will inevitably be discussions about the ial relations including paternity and siblings. against errors? gazette. Under the new law, the Interior potential for abuse. Anyone that has read This can be a very good and useful thing, There is also potential for abuse: DNA col- Ministry will establish a DNA database of all ‘Fahrenheit 451’, ‘1984’ or any other dystopi- especially for expecting moms or young fami- lected from the remains of a political gathering Kuwait’s 4+ million residents.