It’s a war we all have to fight and win: Kailash Satyarthi

Rally against sexual abuse of children held as part of ‘Bharat Yatra’ campaign

Together for a cause: Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, General Secretary of Prajwala Sunitha Krishnan and others taking part in the ‘Bharat Yatra’ campaign in the city on Wednesday.

On a day when a dozen men were nabbed for sexual trafficking in the city, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi led a torchlight march against child sexual abuse as part of his Bharat Yatra campaign. Mr Satyarthi walked from Aramghar Junction to Sivarampalli Government School as hundreds of children drawn from various schools and NGOs marched raising slogans against trafficking of children and sexual abuse.

“It is a war we all have to fight to win and root out the evil,” said Mr. Satyarthi. Later, at a public address at ZP High School attended by students from different schools, Mr. Satyarthi spoke about breaking the silence against child sexual abuse and trafficking. “We have a society that looks down on the exploited while the exploiter walks with his head held high. This has to change. Our schools, neighbourhoods, society and surroundings should become safe for children. We have to now pledge that enough is enough and this is the end of sexual exploitation,” said Mr. Satyarthi who administered an oath to students to fight the scourge.

As children held up lighted candles in the air with their left hand, and a few other held up torches in the air, they swore to stop exploitation: “I will fight to make my India safe, Telangana safe, Hyderabad safe.”

Led by Mr. Satyarthi, the Satyarthi Movement and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, the Bharat Yatra is aimed at raising awareness to mobilise action to fight trafficking of children and sexual abuse. The Telangana leg of the yatra includes Alampur-Gadwal, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy and Hyderabad where Mr. Satyarthi walked and spoke about the issue. Some of the children shared their hopes and expectations from the movement being led by Mr. Satyarthi. Traffic flow was affected for some time as volunteers and children formed a human circle at the Aramghar Junction raising slogans ‘ Bachpan ko bachao. Desh ko bachao ’.

A number of organisations pitched in to raise their voice against sex trafficking and abuse including Prajwala, Chatri, and Divya Disha, among others.