The Hindu : Front Page : Catch them young, groom them as leaders

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Catch them young, groom them as leaders

Anasuya Menon

Children’s parliaments meet once a week
Each member is aware of children’s rights

COIMBATORE: “I promise to attend to the needs of the children of my locality,” P. Sankareswari said solemnly. This 13-year-old is now the prime minister of the children’s parliament for Arul Nagar.

About 110 children swore allegiance to their counterparts in their respective localities at the oath-taking ceremony of a children’s parliament on the premises of the Fathima Church here. Hundreds of children between 9 and 16 years in slums and in the rural areas are part of children’s parliaments, which have prime ministers, speakers, ministers of home affairs, finance, education, information and communication, health and so on.

Parliament meets once a week with a specific agenda. The meetings take up issues concerning the area, be it civic problems, educational or health matters.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Mariyala (rehabilitation home for street and working girls) and Don Bosco Anbu Illam have initiated 32 such children’s parliaments in various pockets of Coimbatore.

Kandhasamy Nagar did not have a proper facility to conduct evening classes for children, Sister Veda, chief coordinator of the children’s Parliament of Mariyalaya, says. “Parliament discussed this in one of its meetings, found a suitable ground that was lying unused and cleaned it up. They built a fence, erected a roof and converted it into an evening study centre,” she adds. NGO volunteers do not interfere with the meetings. The decisions are taken entirely by the council of ministers, Sr. Veda says.

Similar parliaments function in 19 districts in Tamil Nadu. Various NGOs have joined hands to initiate them. The ministers are selected by means of an election among children.

“It facilitates a structural change in society,” says Father R. Issac, State convener of the children’s parliament movement. “It promotes direct democracy apart from enhancing the holistic growth of the children.” Each member of parliament is aware of children’s rights and is trained to identify violations in their peer group or outside. “It is the best way to eliminate child trafficking,” says Fr. Issac.

From the provision of proper roads to waste disposal and drinking water supply, the children’s parliament has brought various civic issues to the notice of local bodies. They have submitted petitions to the authorities too.

“By assuming their roles as ministers, they feel responsible for one another and their society. They can build a society that is uncorrupt,” asserts Fr. Christopher Jayaraj, Director of the Don Bosco Anbu Illam.

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