Children from Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) launched a campaign on Friday, demanding inclusion of child-friendly policies in the election manifestos of political parties.
They went to the offices of five political parties to urge leaders to include their demand and solve the issues faced by children in society.
KCRO representatives met leaders of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, BJP, Janata Dal (S), BSR Congress, and the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP).
According to a KCRO release, all party leaders promised to include demands in their manifestos.
The charter of demands include provision of free education for children hailing from poorer sections of society, compulsory education for those in the 3-16 age group, and considering harassment of children by teachers as a punishable offence.
Nagasimha G. Rao, Director of Child Rights Trust, said that the government has set up Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) and that the main aim of this campaign was to strengthen the commission in the light of the recent challenges faced by children.
He highlighted child labour, female foeticide, child marriage and child trafficking and said that even now children continued to suffer.
The children highlighted the importance of checking child abuse and strengthening the security for them along with reducing the child mortality rate, besides preventing child deaths due to malnutrition.
The campaign also stressed on the need for equal treatment of all children irrespective of sex, age, caste or creed.
