Children’s Day kept the reporters of the world’s first-of-its-kind newspaper for and by street children – Balaknama – busy. Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Man Ki Baat’, these young scribes went around Lajpat Nagar Market asking children of various socio-economic strata about their dreams.
Balaknama is brought out by working street children who are part of non-government organisation Childhood Enhancement through Training and Action working in Lajpat Nagar.
Said 16-year-old Chandini, editor of Balaknama : “I was surprised to note that poor children that we spoke to have very small dreams, however, children from rich families wish to be pilots, teachers etc. and feel confident about achieving their dreams. The children surviving on the streets, however, just wanted to have two meals a day and enjoy a life free of harassment.”
She added that the newspaper was talking to the children because they wanted to highlight the fact that the government should look at ensuring that the rights of children are protected across all sections of society.
Among those interviewed was seven-year-old Jyoti who works 6 hours a day, as a ragpicker, to contribute to her family. She said: “I wish my family has enough to eat so that my mother doesn’t push me to work.”
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation Standing Committee decided earlier this week that the civic body would ramp up action against illegal construction.
They decided to involve the Vigilance Department to keep a check on Building Department officials. This was in the wake of the Delhi High Court reprimanding the three municipal corporations for their failure to curb unauthorised construction.
Standing Committee chairperson Mohan Prasad Bharadwaj even asked councillors to stop lobbying for transfers and postings of junior engineers.
However, two senior leaders in the BJP-led corporation later told mediapersons that the crackdown would have to wait till the Assembly elections in Delhi are over. The party in power in the three corporations seems to be treading with caution before polls.
The death of ten women in the government organised sterilisation camps in Chhattisgarh recently has seen the members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a non government organisation consisting of doctors across the country, stand up in support of Dr. R. K. Gupta of Bilaspur against whom punitive action has been taken by the authorities of Chhattisgarh.
The Association lost little time in issuing a one-page document on the physician’s contribution to the field of medical science without a single line of condolence to the families who lost their loved one.
IMA office-bearer Dr. Narendra Saini said: “Dr. Gupta is a very senior and experienced medical professional having more than 25 years of medical experience. He has an experience of conducting more than 50,000 sterilisation procedures.’’
He added that the camp was conducted as part of the Government’s programme where the entire infrastructure, drug supplies and paramedical assistance was provided by the Government.
IMA has demanded that Dr. Gupta’s suspension be revoked immediately besides ordering proper investigation into the matter.
(By Bindu Shajan Perappadan and Damini Nath)
