Wednesday | Apr 16 2025 | 11:55:43 AM
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New Delhi, April 11
Infantia, India’s first national dialogue on children’s rights on the internet, was organized by PIIR Foundation, in collaboration with Assam Police and supported by UNICEF India.
The landmark conclave, hosted in Guwahati, marked a defining moment in the national conversation around how the internet is reshaping childhood—and how India must respond with empathy, urgency, and rights based approach for children’s internet access.
Bringing together voices from diverse sectors—law enforcement, education, parenting, policy, entertainment, and civil society, Infantia offered a platform to reimagine digital parenting, safety, and empowerment. From emotionally resonant performances to evidence-based discussions, the event called for a collective, compassionate recalibration of how we engage with children’s online lives.
"Children's digital rights cannot wait,” said Salik Khan, Founder of PIIR Foundation. “We are living through an era where the institution of parenting—older than civilization itself—must be urgently reimagined. Our children are growing up online, often without a roadmap. It’s time we rewrite the rules with empathy, equity, and courage.”
In his keynote address, Harmeet Singh, Director General of Police, Assam, emphasized that while the internet offers tremendous opportunities, it also presents profound risks—especially for children, who are among its most vulnerable users.
He said, “In the digital world, protecting children begins with conversations that respect their agency, their voices, and their realities,” he said. He urged stakeholders to take this dialogue from the stage to homes, schools, and communities across India.
Actor and parenting influencer Neha Dhupia brought heart and insight to the event in a fireside chat. Reflecting on her own parenting journey in the digital era, she addressed the modern pressure to overshare children’s lives online. Praising the Assam Police and PIIR Foundation’s #DontBeASharent campaign, she said, “Not everything about your child needs to be posted online,” calling attention to the urgent need for privacy, consent, and digital dignity.
In a powerful and poignant moment, renowned Assamese actors Kopil Bora and Zerifa Wahid performed a theatrical piece capturing the complex emotional terrain of parenting in the age of screens and surveillance. Their performance resonated deeply with the audience—portraying the anxiety, confusion, care, and hope that define the modern parenting experience.
The day also featured a high-impact digital parenting workshop led by PIIR Foundation,
grounded in participatory learning and backed by new research on how Indian children navigate the internet—often without adult guidance or safeguards. Participants engaged with real-life scenarios and actionable strategies to bridge the gap between children’s online and offline lives.
The discussions touched on the urgent need for reforms across legal frameworks, school
systems, parenting models, and public awareness, to align with the evolving digital realities of childhood. The conclave underscored that safeguarding children online isn’t just a
technological or policy issue—it’s a moral and generational imperative.
Infantia reflects PIIR Foundation’s core belief: that digital spaces must be reclaimed as safe,
inclusive, and empowering environments for children. It also showcases Assam Police’s
visionary leadership in embracing a proactive, rights-based approach to child safety—not
just as law enforcers, but as community partners.
The conversations sparked at Infantia are only the beginning.
As a next step, PIIR Foundation will actively work on developing policy frameworks for children’s digital rights, designing advocacy programs for schools and parents, and collaborating closely with law enforcement to equip Investigating Officers (IOs) with a deeper understanding of how
children use the internet. This includes training to enhance the investigation of online crimes against children, spot signs of Problematic Internet Use (PIU), and ensure child-sensitive counselling and support mechanisms are integrated into the investigative process.
