Child rights issues should figure in poll agenda: Activists

Child rights issues should figure in poll agenda: Activists

Political parties contesting the West Bengal Assembly polls have been urged to make the plight of disadvantaged children a part of their agenda by child right activists here.

"Since children do not vote, their problems are often ignored by politicians. We want their issues to be reflected in the agenda of candidates," said Atindranath Das of leading child rights organisation Child Rights and You (CRY).

With support from partner NGOs, they have issued a child rights charter of demands to all political parties.

Their demands include free education for those below 18, an end to child labour, food security, healthcare, legislation against child abuse and the formation of a state child rights commission.

"As the state goes to vote, we are reminding voters that one-fourth of the state - as many as 40 per cent citizens out of a population of 80 million - will not vote because they are children. But we do not want their interests to slip off the political radar," said Shampa Sengupta, who runs Sruti Disability Rights Centre.

She complained that the issue of disabled children hardly figured in the manifestos of political parties.

Danseuse Alokananda Roy, who also runs a child development NGO in the city, pointed out that children, particularly those of sex workers and convicts, continued to be discriminated against in society.

"They also have the right to grow as normal children. But they suffer due to the past of their parents," she rued.

Source : www.sify.com