25-km human chain formed in Odisha on human rights day

More than 20,000 children of Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) formed a 25-km human chain to mark the International Human Rights Day here Monday.

Carrying placards and banners, the children held hands for about two minutes to form the human chain that covered almost the entire city.  

The children also performed traditional dances and dramas at various places. People from different walks of life including legislators, ministers, journalists, academicians and film personalities attended the events.

Located in Bhubaneswar, KISS is home to over 20,000 tribal children who receive free educational and vocational training from kindergarten (KG) to post-graduate (PG) level.
"The event was organised to create awareness among the people of the state on human rights," KISS founder and noted social entrepreneur Achyuta Samanta told IANS.

"Poverty eradication is an achievable goal and KISS exemplifies this," Samanta added.
Dec 10 is celebrated as the Universal Human Rights Day across the world.

This year's spotlight is on voicing the various issues concerning women, youth, people from minority communities, people with disabilities, indigenous people and the poor and including them in political decision-making.