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Bihar Elections 2020

Press Release

Patna, 27th October, 2020: As Bihar Elections 2020 come close, leading political parties in the state are including demands made by children in their party manifestos. A similar charter of demands – Vote4Children, representing voices from most marginalised sections of society was released by child rights NGO Bal Raksha Bharat.

Bal Raksha Bharat consulted with over 1500 children across 7 districts of Bihar to include demands and aspirations of children on issues ranging from health, nutrition, education, protection and participation of children especially during and beyond COVID situation.

Key demands from Children:

  1. Execution of effective and safe alternative teaching facilities to ensure continued learning for children, with special focus on children enrolled in government schools.
  2. Bring vocational training centres closer to people i.e. in panchayats/blocks.
  3. Targeted approach towards enhancing immunity level of children and adolescent to prevent them from Covid-19 infection.
  4. Constant Community level awareness activities about Covid-19 infection and preventive adherences with special focus on Anganwadi and school going young children.
  5. Ensure functional toilets in all schools.
  6. Ensure clean and safe drinking water facilities in every school.
  7. Ensuring availability of sanitary napkins through health related all institutions especially in rural areas.
  8. Strict implementation of laws to stop child marriage; strong punishment for those who engage children in harmful work and in bonded labour in the state.
  9. Set up child friendly courts (special courts) under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 across 38 districts of Bihar

Bihar is the third most populous state in India and it is home to 47 million children, who also make up 11 per cent of India’s population. To help the children aspire for a Bihar state they dream of, Bal Raksha Bharat, on the eve of first phase of Bihar poll, also organised a virtual ‘Democrarcy Adda- Our Rights, Our Demands’; wherein the children from across the state shared their concerns with the polity to help them propel for a better future.

The charter of demands from children is a commitment to (re) develop and (re) strategize children specific developmental policies/ services/ schemes through the wider prism of Corona pandemic.
Children specific planning to be adequately supported with substantive resource allocation and implementation as well as monitoring mechanism under the time bound approach.

Bal Raksha Bharat works across 20 states of India and in 120 countries, on issues related to education, health, and protection and humanitarian/DRR needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized. Bal Raksha Bharat’s s association with India is more than 80 years old. Visit www.savethechildren.in for more information.

Bal Raksha Bharat works on issues related to education, health, protection and humanitarian/DRR needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized. Bal Raksha Bharat’s association with India is more than 80 years old. Visit www.savethechildren.in

Reflecting on how pandemic has impacted children in the state and a greater need for political parties to keep them at the centre of their working, Rafay E. Hussain, State Head, Bihar, Bal Raksha Bharat said, “Jiska mudda uski ladai, uski hi agwai’. Electoral process is a celebration of democracy and significant to realizing ones rights. Children are often forced to inherit the harmful consequences of our actions today – or even the consequences of the things we fail to put into action! We cannot talk about the future of our children without including them in the very same decisions that influence their lives. This is why this charter and this Adda is a collective voice of these children who can use this platform to lay their issues directly to their representatives”.

Some of the demands that have been included in various party manifestos are:

  • Skill building of youth to be highlighted, for which special department will be designated;
  • Availability of clean drinking water to every rural household
  • Rural (solar electrification, to ensure safety and security especially to girls & women)
  • Distribution of 4g enabled tabs to meritorious students from Class IX onward

The charter of demands from children is a commitment to (re) develop and (re) strategize children specific developmental policies/ services/ schemes through the wider prism of Corona pandemic. Children specific planning to be adequately supported with substantive resource allocation and implementation as well as monitoring mechanism under the time bound approach.

Bal Raksha Bharat runs programmes to address children’s needs in 11 Indian states and Union Territories. Globally known as Save the Children, the organisation works in 116 countries, on issues related to education, health, and protection and humanitarian/DRR needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized. Bal Raksha Bharat’s s association with India is more than 80 years old. Visit www.savethechildren.in for more information.

Bal Raksha Bharat works on issues related to education, health, protection and humanitarian/DRR needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized. Bal Raksha Bharat’s association with India is more than 80 years old. Visit www.savethechildren.in

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Geeta Lama
7708655058
geeta.lama@savethechildren.in

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