Skip to main content

How Kailash Satyarthi contributed in global fight against exploitation of children


A note by Bachpan Bachao Andolan on the contributions of Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi in 2021:
***
Today, more than half of the world’s poorest citizens are children and they are entering poverty and child labour at an unprecedented rate. COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in our world and the worst sufferers remained children in the past year, especially during the second wave of COVID-19. Kailash Satyarthi, one of the tallest leaders and the loudest voice in the global fight against exploitation of children, made efforts to highlight the plight of children on biggest and significant platforms during this time.
1. Marking the UN International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, amid fears of rise in child labour due to social and economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, Kailash Satyarthi along with other Nobel Laureates, business leaders, UN agencies and other world leaders joined hands to launch the Fair Share to End Child Labour Campaign. The campaign which calls for fair share of resources, policies and social protection for children and demanded the creation of a Global Social Protection Mechanisms with a fair share of direct benefits for children in the poorest communities. This campaign has been supported by UN Secretary General Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Guy Ryder, Director-General International Labour Organization, Dr. Tedros Director General World Health Organisation, Gabriela Ramos, Assistance Director General of UNESCO Stefan Löfven, the erstwhile Prime Minister of Sweden, Martin Chungong, Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The campaign is creating the largest global coalition to drive urgent and collective action to counter the first increase in child labour in two decades, especially in Africa which is home to more than half of the world’s child labour. Recently, the UN Secretary General announced the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection, in support of efforts to end this crisis.
2. The demand of Right to Healthcare as a fundamental right in India- Witnessing the aftermath of the deadly second wave of COVID-19 in India and across the globe, Kailash Satyarthi urged the Government of India to make Right to Healthcare a fundamental right and make adequate budgetary allocations in this regard. Later this demand was supported by several parliamentarians and Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot also demanded the center to make Right to health as part of fundamental right of the constitution.
3. As the COVID-19’s second wave saw many children becoming orphans and losing their parents, Kailash Satyarthi was the first one to highlight the increasing number of orphaned children in the country due to COVID-19. This resulted in his organisations introducing a 24 hr helpline number for providing immediate relief to the children and families including legal and mental support to children and their guardians. Later many state governments introduced schemes related to orphan children.
4. As recognition of Kailash Satyarthi’s efforts and in support of his campaign, António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, appointed Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi as the Sustainable Development Goals Advocate. The role that is integral to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The appointment came during a critical year, the UN International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, when the world tragically saw the first rise in child labour in two decades.
5. As COVID-19 period reported a sharp rise in the cases of child trafficking, hunger and lack of basic necessities in the country, Kailash Satyarthi’s organizations the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF) along with partner organizations created Covid-19 Crisis Support Centre and more than two thousand covid care units were distributed , 9 million children were protected across 17 states and 390 districts and more than 5 million meals were distributed in pandemic period. KSCF’S Mukti Caravan- a Campaign on Wheels spearheaded by youth leaders and former child labourers moved across the country spreading awareness about the organised crime of child trafficking and other forms of exploitation of children through interactions, Nukkad Nataks, wall writings, pamphlet distribution and screening of audio visual material. Bachpan Bachao Andolan, sister organization of KSCF also rescued more than 13000 children during the pandemic from trafficking and child labour.

Comments

TRENDING

Crucial to revisit roots, embrace core Hindu principles: love, compassion, harmony

A note on religious leaders'  Satya Dharam Samvad in Haridwar: *** In a groundbreaking gathering, more than 25 religious leaders including Swamis, Acharyas, Pujaris, Gurus, and Sadhvis from all over India convened to discuss the tenets of Hinduism on September 16th, 2023, in Haridwar, to discuss and discern the current trajectory of Hinduism. This brand new initiative, the Satya Dharam Samvad, was inspired to organize its first assembly in response to the December 2021 Dharma Sansad, where hate speech and calls for violence against the Muslim community contravened the essential principles of Hinduism. Religion is being used to incite riots among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, etc. In the face of such hatred, Swami Raghavendra felt that something meaningful should be done in the present climate. 

Commodification of road accident deaths: The hidden health hazard of motonormativity

By Chandra Vikash*  Jahnavi Kandula, an Indian student from Andhra Pradesh, studying in America was killed in a road accident by a police motor car in January 2023. Now, 8 months after the accident, a bodycam video of Daniel Orderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, has gone viral on social media. He was laughing at her death and saying that “she was 26 years old, anyway… she had limited value… just give her $11,000 (ie Rs 9.13 lakh)”.

Telengana peasant uprising 1946-51: Path breaking period in Communist movement

By Harsh Thakor  Telengana armed struggle from 1946-51 was path breaking period in the Indian Communist Movement, enabling it to reject the Russian insurrectionist path and emulate the Chinese model. The intensity of the movement escalated people’s democratic power to a scale unparalleled in Indian history. It literally dawned a new era. Revolutionary zeal climbed heights rarely traversed in semi-colonies. The death defying spirit which the comrades displayed in giving a blow to the Nizam ruler of Hyderabad and the Razakar landlords will be written forever in the red letters of history. Tragically it was crushed by the Congress party led by Nehru, who mercilessly ordered the army to swoop on the rebellion, with the Communist Party of India adopting a compromising position. It was ample proof of how Nehru and the Congress party collaborated with the feudal landlord class.

Inside Indian energy-mining giant Vedanta's campaign to weaken environmental rules

By Akshay Deshmane  It was 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic was ripping through India, crippling the country’s health system and bringing the economy to a standstill. But for Anil Agarwal, chairman of the energy and mining giant Vedanta Resources Ltd, the crisis presented an opportunity.

Job opportunity in unexplored territory... to bulldoze hurdles on way to Akhand Aryavart

By Abdul Puncharwala*  Baba and Mama the Jai-Veeru Jodi of Shuddh desi politics bring an excellent opportunity of employment to all the bright matriculate drop-outs busy with their Insta and YouTube reels. Keep your phones aside for a moment and read this advert carefully. It is going to change your life forever.

Abrogation of Art 370: Increasing alienation, relentless repression, simmering conflict

One year after the abrogation by the Central Government of Art. 370 in Kashmir, what is the situation in the Valley. Have the promises of peace, normalcy and development been realised? What is the current status in the Valley? Here is a detailed note by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties , “Jammu & Kashmir: One Year after Abrogation of Art. 370: Increasing Alienation, Relentless Repression, Simmering Conflict”:

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

Informal efforts to help children of remote Bundelkhand village unable to go to school

By Bharat Dogra  Rajaram Ka Purva is a remote rural hamlet in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh inhabited by the poorest of the poor. Almost none of the children in this hamlet are able to go to school. The reasons relate to poverty, distance of the nearest school as well as the unsafe path to school.

Understanding universe, time, space: A crucial, unresolved question before humanity

By Prof Sudhanshu Tripathi*  A crucial question before humanity, still unresolved, is to comprehend the true nature and expanse of Time and Space in Universe. If both are indeed limitless, there is no question then to go beyond them. Because both Time and Space are indeed the two key determinants in this mundane world which define the very expanse of the life period of all living organisms and non-living entities and their relative spatial area producing mental and extra-mental consciousness. 

2024 elections in India: An agenda for justice, peace, democracy and environment

By Bharat Dogra  As debates leading up to 2024 union elections in India preceded by some important state assembly become intense, it is not enough to talk about election alignments among various political parties and their seat adjustments; the questions relating to the most important priorities and a future agenda based on justice, equality, peace, environment protection and democracy must get the most importance.