Indian children make rights manifesto for elections
As India gets on election mode, children from various parts of the country assembled at the capital to produce a manifesto demanding protection of their basic rights. The memorandum of demands and recommendations was presented to the Labour Minister on November 14, the national Children's Day.
As election season in India begins in earnest with the ongoing state polls and the general elections round the corner next year, children fighting for their rights have taken the initiative to create a manifesto to place their concerns on the agenda of political parties.
Around 200 child representatives from eight states presented a memorandum of demands and recommendations for ensuring their rights to India’s Minister for Labour Employment Oscar Fernandes on November 14, 2008 in the Indian capital.
- A child presents the memorandum to Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes / Photo credit: The UNMC
Coming together as part of the ‘Rashtriya Bal Adhikar Sabha’ or National Child Rights Assembly co-organised by World Vision India and the India Alliance for Child Rights (IACR), the children had spent three days working on creating the manifesto that would demand basic rights such as health, education, protection and participation.
Influencing policy makers
“As the representative of the government I will make sure your proposals and concerns reach the people at the highest level of governance.” the minister said while receiving the ‘Children’s Manifesto’ from the authors themselves.
The manifesto containing demands of the thousands of children who participated in the process at the state and national levels were read out by child representatives who shared stage with the minister, Karin Huslof, India chief of UNICEF, Dr. Jayakumar Christian, National Director, World Vision India, L R Joshi, Group Director – Field Ministry Operations among others.
Commending and encouraging the children the India Chief of the UNICEF said, “The thing I really like about the programme is your analysis on how as children you would influence policy makers and politicians for the upcoming election.”
Children from the states of Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi representing thousands of children from World Vision facilitated children’s clubs have worked on this manifesto focused on reviewing the implementation of the UN Convention for the Rights of Children (CRC).
The data gathered on the CRC implementation will form a key part of the alternative report to the UN on the Convention.
- Panelists at the assembly / Photo Credit: The UNMC
Addressing the children Dr. Jayakumar Christian said, “World Vision India will take your recommendations and apply it to our programmes. We will share your findings with the various major political parties, the Chief Election Commission.”
The children’s assessment of rights implementation in India would become a major contribution to the alternative report on CRC.
While fun and games were the order of the day, the mood in the assembly was one of intense debate and focus on issues. Claps and shouting were heard from the halls from time to time, but the orderly fashion in which the children conducted their business would be another example that their adult counterparts in the legislative houses could learn from.
The sound of the children’s assembly raising their slogan, “Hamara Adhikar, Lenge Hum!” (We will take our rights!) was heard resounding throughout the day.
On a mission
When asked about the issues closes to their hearts, Akheel Ansari, a youngster from Uttar Pradesh vehemently said, “Stop early marriage and encourage protection and safety of unborned children.”
A participant from Delhi added, “Doctors involved in foeticide should be punished and the law should cancel their practicing license.”
“We are amazed at the way children take issues that are relevant in their state and district context and have moved them to the national level,” said Razia Ismail, Co-convenor, IACR.
“Seasoned activists and NGO leaders who were panelists were amazed by the deep insights and challenges shared by the children. The thoughts and expectations of the children are being fed directly into advocacy around child rights through this process,” she added.
The data from the score card that was used by the children to evaluate implementation of the CRC was released and handed over the India chief of the UNICEF.
Also released at this time was the book on children using comics as a way of expressing their issues titled: Say it with Comics. The sense of jubilation and accomplishment at having engaged at the highest level was very evident among the children at the ceremony.
“But, there is a long way to go,” said Reni Jacob, Director – Advocacy, World Vision India. “Apart from ensuring these ‘demands’ become part of the government’s plan, we need to bring together the thinking of children from other states too.”
Here are the excerpts from the manifesto:
- Who is a child? What is the real definition of children? It not decided yet. In most of the countries, the legal age of the child is 18 year but in India there is no single definition. Eighteen years should be the legal age for children.
- People who abuse children should be punished.
- Child marriage should be stopped immediately.
- There should be a higher secondary school in every village which provides free education to all.
- All schools should have separate toilets for girls and boys according to their ratio.
- Budget allocated for children should be around 40% of the total budget to achieve all of the demands made by the children (13% for Health, 15% for education, 5% for social development and 7% for protection and security)
For more information contact:
Kitkupar Shangpliang
Tel: 09863027061
Email: kitkupar_shangpliang@wvi.org
kitkupar@rediffmail.com
