It
is not every day that one gets to see Karnataka Chief Minister D.V.
Sadananda Gowda answering a series of questions posed by none other than
children. However, this is exactly what happened on November 15, at
Conference Hall No. 333, Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore, when the Chief
Minister was grilled by around 80-odd-children from different parts of
Karnataka, on various issues pertaining to child rights. Along with the
chief minister, several members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and
members of the legislative council (MLCs) participated in the
discussion, where child representatives took the centre stage. Along
with the CM, MLAs Sri Manohar Maski, Sri Ne. La. Narendrababu, Sri
Basavaraja Horatti, Smt. Vimala Gowda, Sri Mukhya Mantri Chandru, Sri
Harris and other legislative assembly and legislative council members
were also present. UNICEF Hyderabad representatives Dr. Yogendra Mathur,
Sri Soni Kutty George and Smt. Nina Nayak, Chairperson of the Karnataka
State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), members
of the NGOs and media were also present. The CM and his colleagues
signed their commitment to the Child Rights Commitment poster and
inaugurated the programme.
The
event was part of the state-level Children's Parliament hosted at
Vidhana Soudha for almost two hours—11.00 am to 1.00pm. The unique
attempt to help children raise their issues directly in front of highest
policy makers was a collective attempt by Karnataka State Legislators’
Forum for Child Rights, Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) and
supported by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Hyderabad. For the
first time in the state, a chief minister had held consultation with
the children directly and listened to their problems in the Vidhana
Soudha, the epicenter of power.
Be
it the low-quality food supplied at anganwadi centres, or the
discrimination faced by HIV-positive children, the young participants at
the session minced no words in bringing forth issues related to
school-going children across Karnataka. The other topics which figured
during the interaction between the Chief Minister and the children
included lack of infrastructural facilities in schools, lack of good
quality teachers in schools, problems faced by disabled children, stray
dog menace, poor health care facilities, education of migrated children,
trafficking, female foeticide, lack of transportation facilities and
ban on liquor, to name a few.
If
14-year-old Mohammed Anas, a student of Shivarama Karanth High School
in Putthur complained of the huge amount of corruption involved in the
supply of food to anganwadi centres by highlighting the involvement of
teachers in selling off food meant for children, then another teenager
expressed his plight at being thrown out of his school, after he was
found to be HIV positive.
The
courage and conviction with which the children addressed questions to
the Chief Minister left everyone baffled. Right from politicians,
bureaucrats to activists, everyone present at the event praised the
children for their in-depth knowledge of ground realities, and passion
to solve their problems.
A
patient Chief Minister, after listening to the children assured them
that their issues would be addressed immediately. He also asked the
children to write to him directly whenever they faced any kind of
discrimination or violations of their rights.
As
part of the Children's Parliament, young participants were provided a
day-long time on 14th November to interact among themselves and
prioritise their issues to be discussed with the CM. This coincided with
Children’s Day celebration, observed across the country. Many of the
children who participated in the state level children’s parliament felt
that the momentum now created should not die down with this particular
programme, rather the process of children’s representatives meeting the
Chief Minister and other cabinet ministers with their demands should
become a regular feature every year.
