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Bhubaneswar, June 12: Orissa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) in association with UNICEF observed World Day Against Child Labour at a city hotel Sunday.
The music video of the song ‘Sunle Maula’ a song aimed at creating awareness against child labour sung by Rituraj Mohanty and team was launched on the occasion.
The title track highlights the inequities that affect children and touched the hearts of the audience. Musicians Sudeep Pravu, Biswajit Mahapatra and Sameet Pattnaik were behind the song, which raises a voice to assure basic rights to children. Shuvendu Ghadai has directed the video, created with support of UNICEF.
Yumi Bae, the chief of UNICEF Orissa, spoke on the occasion. “Children who are compelled to work are robbed of their childhood. The majority of child labourers are invisible and often beyond the reach of the law. Many are denied basic healthcare, education, adequate nutrition, and the protection and security of their communities and families. Combating child labour requires not only political leadership but broad-based partnerships.”
The district collector of Mayurbhanj Rajesh P Patil said the district had eradicated child labour. “We initiated a movement ‘Mu Bi Padhibi’ (I will learn too) in 2013 to end child labour and to reduce school dropout rate. The programme followed a two-tier approach to achieve the status of child-friendly district, which was to mainstream the out of school children and rescuing children engaged in labour,” Patil said.
The district gave greater emphasis on rescuing child labourers and curbing migration in 2015. “Special teams were formed to conduct raids, rescue children and to counsel them. So far we have returned 70,646 children to schools and rescued 1,133 child labourers and migrants,” he said and added that the same approach could free other parts of the state from child labour.
Kasturi Mohapatra, the chairperson of OSCPCR, said the society had allowed child labour to exist and is destroying their future. “Child labour exists because we have not done enough to end it. The issue cannot be addressed in isolation. A child at risk of being trafficked may also be in conflict with the law or face violence at home. There is an urgent need to combine efforts to combat child labour, end violence against children, and strengthen systems for the protection of children holistically,” the OSCPCR head said.
She added that education was the solution to the problem. “Schools alone can keep children away from child labour.”
In his turn Industries, School & Mass Education minster Debi Prasad Mishra detailed the government’s initiatives to deal with menace. “Education is very important for the elimination of child labour. We are applying various schemes to deal with this. If the child’s family is economically strong there won’t be any problem. So we have decided to strengthen villagers economically by helping them set up businesses. Apart from educating parents, it is important to make children aware of the importance of education as dropout rates rise due to lack of interest.”
Steel and Mines, Labour and Employees’ State Insurance minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik, and MP Prasanna Patsani also spoke on the occasion.
Awareness at Raahgiri
Several activities were organised at Raahgiri, Sunday, to create awareness against child labour. Organisations and non profits spread the message by way of dance and music shows.
A puppetry show titled ‘Dina’ was staged at the event by the Department of Labour, Orissa, and it showed the ill-effects of child labour and it can be stopped through citizens’ participation. People’s Cultural Centre (PECUC) conducted a signature campaign and walkathon at Raahgiri. Children took part in the walkathon holding banners. PECUC also asked people to take an oath to not use the child labour in the state.
Center for Child and Women Development also conducted a signature campaign at Janpath. “Our major motive should be to free Bhubaneswar of child labour,” CCWD secretary Sadasiv Swain said. Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, MP Prasanna Patsani and MLA Priyadarshi Mishra participated in the signature campaign.
