Children in Mirik in Darjeeling yesterday elected a leader to head their
newly-formed 'children club' that aims to work for ‘child rights in
rural areas of their block that falls under the Kurseong sub-division.
According to those behind such an initiative, the club will be a platform for children to safeguard their rights as per Article 15 of the United Nations Convention of Rights of Children, which gives children the right to meet, form groups and join groups and organizations, unless this breaks the rights of others.
The brains behind the move are officials of the Bal Suraksha Abhiyaan, while already 22 such clubs are functioning in rural areas of Kalimpong sub-division since 2013.
Around 46 children, all below 18 years of age, in Mirik Block elected Sungnima Rai, 15, a class nine student, as the club's president, while Akash Gurung , a 16-year-old student was elected the general secretary.
"The child labour problem is escalating in Mirik. We will soon start a campaign to make the children aware of their rights. We will communicate with our seniors and report them regularly on problems faced by the children in our region," said Akash.
"As per the reports we receive from these clubs, we have been able to take appropriate action in some cases," a BSA official said.
Experts say that most of the children who have been deprived of their basic rights hail from rural areas, and the reasons for that is lack of awareness, and the failure of the system meant to curb the rising child labour and child trafficking cases.
"With the 22 clubs in rural areas of Kalimpong, we have been able to curb child labour and trafficking in these places to some extent," the BSA official said. Plans are afoot to establish similar clubs in other rural areas of Darjeeling(sns)
According to those behind such an initiative, the club will be a platform for children to safeguard their rights as per Article 15 of the United Nations Convention of Rights of Children, which gives children the right to meet, form groups and join groups and organizations, unless this breaks the rights of others.
The brains behind the move are officials of the Bal Suraksha Abhiyaan, while already 22 such clubs are functioning in rural areas of Kalimpong sub-division since 2013.
Around 46 children, all below 18 years of age, in Mirik Block elected Sungnima Rai, 15, a class nine student, as the club's president, while Akash Gurung , a 16-year-old student was elected the general secretary.
"The child labour problem is escalating in Mirik. We will soon start a campaign to make the children aware of their rights. We will communicate with our seniors and report them regularly on problems faced by the children in our region," said Akash.
"As per the reports we receive from these clubs, we have been able to take appropriate action in some cases," a BSA official said.
Experts say that most of the children who have been deprived of their basic rights hail from rural areas, and the reasons for that is lack of awareness, and the failure of the system meant to curb the rising child labour and child trafficking cases.
"With the 22 clubs in rural areas of Kalimpong, we have been able to curb child labour and trafficking in these places to some extent," the BSA official said. Plans are afoot to establish similar clubs in other rural areas of Darjeeling(sns)