Only 3 MLAs turn up for child rights event in City

Only three out of 20 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly contacted to participate in an interface with child rights activists came for the event held in Delhi on Friday.

The interface was organised by HAQ Foundation, Child Rights and You (CRY) and Alliance for People’s Rights (APR) with a focus on children and governance in Delhi where experts and government members debated about prominent child specific issues.

“We had contacted 20 MLAs but only six gave confirmation. However, only three came for the interface,” said Bharati Ali, founder HAQ foundation.

Participating MLAs demanded proper implementation of children specific laws related to education, health, protection among others by initiating an action research.

“Nearly half of Delhi’s population lives in unauthorised colonies or slums which do not even have basic facilities and we are spending crores in organising Commonwealth Games. Even if schools and anganwadis try to provide one meal a day, which we all know is sub-standard, how will children get adequate nutrition?” said Dr S C L Gupta, BJP member and MLA of Sangam Vihar in south Delhi.

Gupta suggested Delhi should come up with an integrated development plan. “There should be a daily integrated plan where funds can be distributed and situations analysed on the basis of the work done in different areas,” he said.

Others stressed the need to pull out “honest politicians and government servants” who will prioritise by focusing on child specific issues.

“We are so busy resolving issues related to water, electricity and roads that we have forgotten to cater to children who are the most adversely affected segment of Delhi’s population,” said Sahab Singh Chauhan, BJP member and Ghonda district MLA from north-east Delhi.

Veer Singh Dhingan, Congress party member and Seemapuri MLA from east Delhi stressed on spreading awareness among people about ways in which issues like child labour, missing children, malnutrition and education can be tackled.

CRY representatives highlighted that according to a RTI reply obtained by Navshrishti NGO in 2011, 18 children went missing from Delhi everyday. “But we cannot say the situation has improved as according to APR’s estimates 14 children go missing everyday and six are never found,” said Vijaylakshmi, director, CRY.

Experts further highlighted that of the total number of children who went missing in 2011, 72 per cent were from south-east and north-east Delhi and more than half of them were girls.

Commenting on the issue, Dr Gupta said, “We are trying to pass a mandate on lodging FIRs for missing children. Also, in the area of education I plan to raise a question in the parliament regarding discrimination among children in government schools because of the multi-layered structure.”