Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi has stressed on the need of constituting a children’s parliament in the grama panchayats so that the children can air their grievances for achieving a child-friendly society.
The children’s parliament in the panchayat should elect their own leader which would help them in developing leadership qualities, sense of responsibility, values and also participation in various developmental works in the villages, he said.
Participating in the campaign launched to achieve a child-friendly Telangana organised by the district administration from Karimnagar town on Wednesday, he said that the village parliament should also work along with the children’s parliament to secure safety of children and check child labour and abuse in villages. He also called upon the need for inclusive development of the villages by involving the children, the future of the country.
Appreciating Telangana for launching the campaign to achieve a child-friendly State, he said that the decision would go a long way and the entire world would look up to such a State without child labour, abuse and friendly environment. Hailing the State government for launching several residential schools for SC\STs\BCs and minorities, he also complimented the State for introducing Kalyanalaxmi and Shaadimubarak scheme to check child marriages.
Quoting the World Bank statistics, he said a one-dollar investment made in education would convert into 15 dollars and called upon the government to allocate huge funds for the education sector and see that no child was out of school. Stating that every one hour four children were sexually abused, he said that majority of the child victims do not complain about their abuse as most of the accused were relatives and friends of family.
He also said that the government should sensitise all sections of society including the politicians, police, industries, panchayat raj staff and others about the child rights and their safety. He also informed the students to follow the four ‘C’s – clarity, conviction, courage and compassion.
Earlier, he interacted with the children and asked them to discourage child marriages, child labour and abuse. Recollecting that Karimnagar MP B. Vinod Kumar had introduced a private bill in the parliament seeking reservations for the orphan children, Telangana Recognised Schools management Association (TRSMA) secretary Y. Shekhar Rao announced that the private schools would provide free education and hostel for the orphans.
Minister for Finance and Civil Supplies Eatala Rajender, MP B. Vinod Kumar, ZP chairperson Tula Uma, MLC Naradasu Laxman Rao, legislator G. Kamalakar, Mayor S. Ravinder Singh, Collector Sarfaraz Ahmad, correspondents of private educational institutions also spoke on child rights and their safety.
