Children don’t vote- but you do!
Let’s vote for our children to grow up with Tolerance and love.
Let’s vote for Constitutional Rights for ALL children Let’s vote against violence with impunity, cuts in funding for food, child care, education and killing in the name of religion and cow-vigilantism.
The upcoming election is crucial for the future of children in India, who are in a state of crisis.
Our Constitution guarantees all children the right to early childhood care, nourishment, and education, equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. The constitution also promises protection to our children and youth from violence and exploitation, from being abused or forced by economic necessity to enter occupations unsuited to their age or strength.
There is no doubt that in the last five years, there has been a massive erosion of these Constitutional rights and of the wellness of India’s children. Violence against India’s children has increased disturbingly, while funds to support the basic needs of the most marginalized children has significantly decreased. Crime against children has risen by 16.39% between 2014 and 2016. Union Budgets for children have declined from 4.76% of the total allocations in 2012- 13 to 3.25 % in 2019-20.
Child protection: In 2016, the Global Slavery Index reported that India leads the world in modern slavery, sex, and labor trafficking. Children from vulnerable and marginalized groups have never been so insecure. Intolerance is being promoted actively. These children live in fear. Not only do they suffer from malnourishment, hunger and exploitation, but also have grossly inadequate childcare, and no practical access to education, increasingly children are victims of targeted and extreme violence like sexual abuse, trafficking and ‘cow lynching’.
As horrifying as it sounds, the rapes of children have increased by 82%. Equally horrifying is the fact that many of the child rapists continue to enjoy impunity, especially if the victims are Muslim, Dalit or OBC or other marginalized groups, as illustrated by the Kathua, Unnao and Muzaffarpur, Deoria and other shelter home cases. Cow vigilantes have killed with impunity a 12-year-old Muslim boy traveling to an animal fair in Jharkhand and two other Muslim children in Dadri found with two buffaloes in their truck. The 12-year old was beaten to death and hung from a tree. The fanatical rapists and murderers have been protected and defended simply because of their party and religious affiliation.
In the meanwhile, the introduction of the death penalty for the rapists of children has put them in greater danger. Half of India’s children are sexually abused.
Research demonstrates that very often those who abuse the children are family members or caregivers, Thanks to the death penalty, they often silence the children with great brutality, sometimes even murdering them, to conceal evidence.
On top of that, a clause was introduced in the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act of 2016 allowing children to work in “family enterprises” making at-risk children more vulnerable and confining them to caste-based occupations.
In another regressive measure, the Juvenile Justice Act was amended to allow for children, between the ages of 16 and 18, to be tried as adults in case of heinous offenses. Research shows, putting children into the criminal justice system further criminalizes them. Child rights activists and international children organizations say these children need education and an opportunity to reform and rehabilitation.
Education: The chances of a disadvantaged child fighting for a better future are being further smothered as free schools are being shut down and scholarships for higher education are being de-funded. Budgets for post matric scholarship scheme for SCs has been reduced by 60%; for girls’ hostel for SCs by 40.32 %; for post matric scholarship for OBCs by 17.35% and boys and for girls’ hostel for OBCs by 40%. Children with disabilities still ‘dream’ for inclusion.
History and science textbooks have been rewritten and now blatantly misrepresent historical facts by replacing them with myths. Textbooks and courses are re-enforcing regressive gender stereotypes. Girls are being groomed in some schools and universities to be “trained” in wifehood rather than career aspirations. In a Madhya Pradesh University, a three- month course on wifehood was introduced last year. A recent report by World Bank reveals that educated girls are dropping out of the workforce because they are being groomed to aspire for marriage first. A BJP candidate in Rajasthan even promised to legalize child marriage if elected!
Nutrition and childcare: 38% of children under age five years are stunted; 21 % of children under age five years are wasted, and 36% of children under age five are underweight –all signs of malnutrition and hunger. An estimated 8,143 crèches have closed between 2013-14 and 2016-17, and the number of women and children benefiting from the National Crèche Scheme has been cut by 39% (from 474, 775 to 290,925). Anganwadi workers who cook and care for millions of children as part of the Integrated Child Development Services, the world’s largest infant and pregnant mother nutrition programme, are paid one-tenth of the legal minimum wage. They recently went on strike saying that the government wants to replace the food cooked by them with packaged products made by MNCs. They have not been given food supplements for the last year in many states.
May we take a moment to remind our nation that children have rights as citizens of India, to equality, to personal liberty and due process of law; to nutrition and health and education; to being protected from being trafficked and forced into bonded labour and of course the right of minorities and of weaker sections to be protected from discrimination, social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
Any attempt to demand better for our children is side-lined. We want this to change. We don’t want children to be abused and exploited, forced to work, not go to school, neglected or be discriminated against. We want resources and measures for education, child care, and child protection.
Most of all, we want our children safeguarded and their rights as equal citizens of India to be protected.
Let’s vote for all rights for ALL children. India’s four hundred and eighty million children deserve better. They can’t vote today, you can.
Let’s vote for love, not hate.
Sources:
1. National Crime Records Bureau
2. Global Slavery Index
3. Government of India- Statements of Union Budget 4. HAQ-Centre for Child Rights
5. UNICEF
Signed
10-11 April 2019
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1. Aatreyee Sen, Forum For Human Rights and Justice, Himachal Pradesh.
2. Aban Raza, Painter
3. Abheek Barman, Consulting Editor, The Economic Times, New Delhi
4. Adv. Anastasia Gill, DMC Member
5. Alka Saraogi, Writer
6. Amarendra Shrivastwa, Child rights activist
7. Amir Rizvi Human Rights Activis
8. Ananya Chakraborti, Child Rights Activist, Kolkata
9. AnastasiaGill,Advocate, DMCMember
10. Anisha Ghosh Child Rights Activist
11. Anita Ghai, Professor and Disability Rights Activist
12. AnitaVaccharajani, Writer
13. Anjali Monteiro, Professor, TISS
14. Annie Namala, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan
15. Antara Deb Sen, Writer
16. Anthony Thomas, Senior Editor, Harper Collins India, Noida UP
17. Anurag Kundu, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR)
18. Apurwa yagnik, Jaipur
19. Apurwa Yagnik, Jaipur
20. Arlene Manoharan, Social Worker & Child Rights Professional, Bangalore
21. Ashish, Jan Jagaran Shakti Sangathan
22. Ashish Jha, Jan Jagran Shakti Sanghatan
23. Ashwini Alawadi, co-founder, RAHI, recovering and healing from incest
24. Ayush Sharda, Ek Packet Umeed, Kolkata
25. Babu Sarder, Beliaghata Both Foundation
26. Baitali Ganguly, JABALA, Child Rights Activist, Kolkata
27. Bharti Sharma, Retired Professor and Child Rights Activist
28. Bhavreen Khandari, Environment Activist
29. Bijayalaxmi Rautaray, Secretary, SAHAYOG, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
30. Biswajit Goswami, Founder and Editor, Shadow and Green
31. Bushra Alvi Razzak
32. Chandrakanta, Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion
33. Chandrakanta Khan, Social Activist, Patna
34. Chithra Don Bosco
35. Chitra Gopalakrishnan. Writer and Child Rights Activist
36. Chitra Soundar, Writer, Storyteller, UK
37. Chitra Sundar SOUNDAR, writer and storyteller, London
38. Chris Anthony, Shades of happiness, Consecrated Life Against Trafficking inPersons
39. Cynthia Stephen, Independent Researcher, Bangalore
40. Deborah Baker, writer, New York
41. Deepa Mehta, filmmaker Toronto
42. Devaki Jain, Feminist Economist and Former Director Institute of SocialStudies Trust
43. Devasia, Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India office for SC/BC
44. Dhanpal, HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
45. Emidio Pinho, SCAN- GOA
46. Enakshi Ganguly, Child Rights Activist
47. Esha I Choudhary, Caritas India
48. Fr. Devasagayaraj, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India Office for SC/BC
49. Gargi Banerjee, Social activist
50. Gauri Chakrabarty. Associate Professor, Amity School of Communication
51. Harsh Mandar, Activist
52. Ignatius.V, PARA, Andhra Pradesh
53. Indira Pancholi, Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, Child Rights Activist
54. Indrani Chakraborty, Child Rights Activist, Kolkata
55. Ishita Mukherjee
56. Jean Dreze, Economist and Social Activist, Ranchi
57. Jeroo Mulla, Visiting Faculty, Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai
58. John Dayal, Social Activist
59. Joyatri Ray, Child Rights Activist, Bangalore
60. Jyoti Duhan Rathi, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR)
61. Kajol Menon, Co-Founder LEHER and Child Rights Activist
62. Kalpana Purushothaman, Psychologist, Bangalore
63. Kamayani, jan jagran Shakti Sanghatan
64. Karuna Bishnoi, Child Rights Activist
65. Keshar Kumar, Trade Unionist
66. Khushboo Jain Child Rights Researcher, Delhi
67. Khushboo Mishra, Child Rights Activist, Delhi
68. Komal Ganotra, Child Rights Professional
69. Fr. Koshy, Don Bosco National Forum for the Young at Risk, New Delhi and Child Rights Activist
70. Kumar Shailabh, Co-director, HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
71. Kusum Tripathi, SNDT University, Mumbai
72. Maharukh Adenwalla, Advocate, Child Rights Activist, Mumbai
73. Maina Bhagat
74. Manoj Kumar Dash, India Volunteer, Integrated Volunteers Network (IVN),New Delhi
75. Mausami Bhattacharya, ICSSR Post Doctoral Fellow, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
76. Meera Vardhan, Lucknow
77. Mehrun Siddique, Social Activist
78. Mira Shiva, Activist
79. Minoti Bahri -Founder Chairperson Shikshantar School.
80. Mohammed Siraj, Child Rights Activist and Founder, Panchan
81. Muthamma B. Devaya, Disability Rights Activist, Bangalore
82. Nabaneeta Deb Sen, Writer and Scholar, Kolkata
83. Nachiketa Mittal, Professor and Social Activist
84. Nalini Kant, Manavi, Ranchi
85. Nandana Sen, Children’s Book Writer, New York
86. Nandini Majrekar, Professor, TISS Mumbai
87. Nandita Pal Choudhary, Crafts Advocate
88. Nasiruddin, Journalist , Lucknow
89. Nawlesh Kr Singh, State Convenor, Campaign against Child Labour 90. Nayanika Mahatani, Children’s book writer, London
91. Neel Mukherjee, writer, London and Boston
92. Neil Roberts, Child Rights Activist, Chandigarh
93.Nicole Range lMenezes,Co-Funder LEHER,ChildRightsActivist
94. Nikhil Kumar, Delhi
95. Nilanjana Roy, children’s book writer
96. Nilima Mehta, Professor and Child Rights Specialist
97. Nimisha Srivastava, Child Rights worker, Delhi
98. Nitin Wadhwani, Director, NGO Citizens Association for Child Rights (CACR), Mumbai
99. Niti Saxena, Human Rights Activist and Researcher
100. Nitya Singh, Activist
101. Nivedita Jha Shakeel, Writer and Social Activist
102. eNiyati Singh, Activist
103. N. Paneer Selvam, Kiruba Welfare Trust, Chennai
104. Nutin Wadhwani, director, NGO Citizens Association for Child Rights,Mumbai
105. Padmaja Shaw, Rtd. Professor, Journalism, Osmania University
106. Papiha Nandy
107. Paramita Saha, Dancer and Arts Manager, Kolkata
108. Paro Anand, Children’s Stories Writer
109. PAROMITA Saha, Dancer and arts Manager Kolkata
110. Paromita Shastri, Writer and Child Rights Activist
111. Piali Bhattacharya, women’s rights activist
112. PK Sharma, Centre Direct
113. Prabir Basu, SPAN, Kolkata
114. Pratishtha Singh, Rajasthan
115. Preeti Agarwal Mehta, Delhi
116. Preeti Patkar, Prerana, Mumbai and Child Rights Activist
117. Preeti Singh,Co-Director, HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
118. Puneeta Roy, The Yuva Ekta Foundation
119. Radha Mishra, Retd Professor, SNDTWU, Pune
120. Radhika Menon, Children’s Publisher, Tulika, Chennai
121. Rafey Hussain, Save the Children
122. Raja Sen, Film Critic and Children’s Book Writer
123. Ranjeeta
124. Ram, Child Psychologist
125. Ratna Saxena, Independent Researcher and Child Rights Activist
126. Riyaz
127. Reena Mohan, film-maker , Delhi
128. Reshma Singh, AALI, Jharkhand
129. Robert Dequadros, Social activist
130. Rosina Ahmed, Doctor
131. Ruchira Goswami, NUJS, Kolkata
132. Ruchira Gupta, The Last Girl Apne Aap
133. Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan
134. Sadaf Jafar, Founder, Kalrav
135. Sister Carol, SASVIKA
136. Sadanand Bag, Human Rights Activist
137. Saddiq Passah, Child Rights Activist
138. Sajal Banerjee, Filmmaker
139. Sandokpam Ranjeeta, Human Rights Alert, Manipur
140. Father Sebestian
141. Sanjoy Roy, Founder, Trustee, Salaam Baalak Trust, New Delhi
142. Father Sonychen Mathew SDB, Chithra Don Bosco
143. Sister Arpan Carvalho BS. Amrat-Talitha Kum India- The internationalnetwork of consecrated life against trafficking in persons
144. Satya Gopal Dey, Vikramshila Education Resource Society
145. Saif Mahmood, Writer and lawyer, Delhi
146. Seema K Treangpi, Bread for Life Trust, Catholic Bishops’ Conference ofIndia,Office for SC/BC
147. Samim Sultana, Child Rights Activist
148. Saira Shah Haleem
149. Sanghamitra Sen, Scientist, Santa Barbara
150. Sara Khan, Social Activist
151. Shantha Sinha, Former Member of National Commission for Protection ofChild Rights (NCPCR) and Child Rights Activist
152. Sayeda Hameed, Muslim women’s forum, Delhi
153. Shika Shetty, Child Rights Activist, Bangalore
154. Shaaz Ahmed
155. Shahina Javed, Child Rights Activist
156. Shray Ragi Israni, designer
157. Shalini Dhawan, Designer
158. Sreemoyee Sen Ram – Social Worker and Child Rights Professional
159. Shama Afroze, Child Rights Campaigner
160. Sister Smita Parmar, Social Activist, Bihar
161. Shimantini Dhuru, Educationist, Filmmaker
162. Sister Leena Padam
163. Shireen Vakil, Child Rights Activist
164. Siddharth P, Mumbai. Child Rights Activist, Bihar
165. Sister Jayarani Deepshikha
166. Siddiqua Parveen, Legal Consultant, WBCPCR
167. Simantini Dhuru, Educationist, Film Maker
168. Sneha Dey Roy, Goonj
169. Sneha Mishra, AAINA, Child Rights Activist, Odisha
170. Sneha Sharma, Centre for Child Rights, CNLU, Patna
171. Stalin Padma, Film Maker and Human Rights Activist
172. Steve Rohan Rocha, Nine is Mine and PRATYeK
173. Sudeshna Roy, Fimmaker
174. Sumitra Mishra, Child Rights Activist, Delhi
175. Sunil Jha, Child Rights Activist
176. Sr. Sabrina, Loreto Rainbow Homes
177. Sunita, Social Activist, Bihar
178. Susmita Chanda, Program Consultant, WBCPCR
179. Swagata Raha, Legal Researcher
180. Syeda Hameed, Muslim Women’s Forum, Social Activist Former Memberof Planning Commission and National Women’s Commission
181. Tannistha Datta, Child Rights Activist
182. Tavishi Alagh, Film-maker
183. Tinku Khanna, Apne Aap, Kolkata
184. T.Martin Sudhakar, people’s action for rural awakening, Andhra Pradesh
185. Uma Subaramanian, Social Worker and Child Rights Activist
186. Valay Singh Rai, Author, Child Rights Activist
187. Varghese Theckanath s.g. Montfort Social Institute
188. Varunditya Chauhan, digital marketeer, Gwalior
189. Veenu Kakkar, Independent Development Consultant
190. Vibhuti Patel, TISS, Mumbai
191. Victor Raj, Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL)
192. Vinita Saraf, Ektara
193. Vinod K Jose, Journalist
194. Vipin Bhatt, Child Rights Activist
195. Yasho Vardhan
196. Zain Awan, Editor (Print and Online), ANI News
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