Non-vaccination of children, either due to the ignorance or stubbornness of parents, has been highlighted in the report of the first phase of the Balasuraksha Yatra organised by Childline Kozhikode in association with the District Legal Services Authority in seven panchayats of Vadakara and Thooneri blocks in Kozhikode district.
In the report submitted to District Collector N. Prasanth recently, Childline volunteers have pointed out that there are hundreds of children who have not been vaccinated and that parents are reluctant to administer vaccines to their children in parts of Eramala, Edacheri and Cherodu grama panchayats.
Drug abuse and the use of children as carriers of drugs are other problems that have been reported by the volunteers in some panchayats. The problem is severe in Madappally where children are using drugs. Drugs are being sold in shops situated near schools in Orkkatteri, Iringannur, Cherodu, Parakkadavu and Kainatti. Illicit liquor manufacturing and its supply through children has been reported in Eramala, while ganja cultivation has been reported in Purameri.
In Madakkara beach area, many parents are alcoholics and it was found that many of them forced their children to consume liquor and sometimes resorted to physical abuse.
Child labour still exists in Purameri and Edacheri, where girls between 8 and 13 years of age are brought for domestic labour from Mysuru and other parts of Karnataka. There have been complaints that child marriages are taking place in Chekyad panchayat.
The Balasuraksha Yatra that aims to build public responsibility on children’s issues was held in the seven panchayats in August and is under way in seven other panchayats in September. Based on the findings of the Yatra, the Childline and the Legal Services Authority have planned a variety of follow-up activities including classes on the issues in every ward, open forum for children, awareness activities among parents in Madakkara Beach area and anti-drugs campaigns in schools.
