Speaker gives pep talk to young rights crusaders

Ranchi: A group of 20 children from seven blocks of Ranchi district, who work as ‘adolescent reporters’ under a Unicef programme, visited the Jharkhand assembly on Saturday and interacted with Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto to mark the beginning of the Child Rights week.
The week, which begins from November 14, is observed nationally as ‘Baal Divas’ and culminates on November 20.
The Unicef ‘adolescent reporters’ are children of government schools who have been working on child rights issues in their communities. As vocal advocates of child rights, these children have prevented child marriages, rescued kids from child labour and helped them enrol in school.
Mahto said, “Childhood should be protected. Children have the right to live, develop, be safe and have a say in how their lives are formed. Child rights are the cornerstone of establishing a strong human rights culture and act as a safeguard for future generations. Children are more susceptible to abuse, violence, harshness and ignorance.”
The government is concerned and aware about children’s problems and challenges and taking all steps to address the issues, he added. “Only the government's efforts cannot bring change. We all need to join hands for the cause of children and solve their problems.”
UNICEF Jharkhand’s communication specialist Astha Alang said they were thankful to the Speaker’s Office for providing the children with such a platform that increases their confidence and motivation to do more work on child rights.