Article Source: Hindustan Times

Date of Issue: March 29, 2008

Author: Ritika Chopra

Title of the article: NAFRE to present kids' demand list to PM
   
HAVING UNDERTAKEN a nation-wide journey spanning 210,000 km, members of the National Alliance for Fundamental Right to Education (NAFRE) concluded the NAFRE People's Movement in the Capital on Thursday with a two-day deliberation meet. Kickstarted on January 23 this year, the movement covering 15 states was organised with the aim of understanding the demands of people at the grassroots level and presenting the same before state governments.

Two months, several meetings and the participation of close to 15 lakh people later, approximately 500 representatives met at the Hindu Maha Sabha Bhavan on Wednesday and Thursday to narrate their experiences, make observations and finally chart out a memorandum of demands to be presented before the Prime Minister.

Issues such as opposition of SEZs and displacement of people in the name of development and advocacy for common school system emerged as some of the key topics of discussion. However, it was interesting to note the inclusion of children at the micro:level to voice their opinion on issues that affect them.

Since its inception, NAFRE has been advocating for child rights and has encouraged children to make their views on several issues known. For this purpose, Bal Panchayats have been created across 16 member states of NAFRE.

Rajiv Roy of CRY, which is one of the founding members of NAFRE, says, "Members of the Bal Panchayats elect their own leaders and meet regularly The child processes initiated by us have led many success stories." Take the results achieved by children of the Pandajagir in Devas district of Madhya Pradesh for instance. Irked by the unequal treatment meted out to the Dalit children at the village school, the students met officials to demand that the separate drinking water facility for the Dalit children be removed. After initial opposition, the demand was successfully met.

Children are an important part of the NAFRE's Charter of Demands as well. Demands of abolishment all forms of private educational institutions and making mother tongue as compulsory medium of instruction at pre-primary level are among other larger social and cultural issues that make up the charter which will be presented to the Prime Minister soon.