World Child Labour Day is observed in different parts of India

World Child Labour Day is observed in different parts of India

JUNE 12, 2012 Varanasi (ANI)   By Girish Kumar Dubey

Processions and meets were organised in different parts of India to observe the World Child Labour Day on Tuesday (June 12).

In northern Uttar Pradesh state's Varanasi city, groups of children and activists from the local non-government organization (NGO) gathered to raise their voices against the prevalence of child labour in the country.

The children and the activists raised slogans while holding placards and demanded the inclusion of children's ecological right in the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

"These kind of programmes are very impactful. It is a matter of children and they themselves are raising their voices here. The government takes it very seriously, which is why the law for a child's Right to Education has been established. Otherwise there would have been none. We believe that in the coming times, the ecological rights of the children would be enforced in the declaration of the UNCRC. Child labour will go down in Uttar Pradesh and children will go to school in large numbers," said Rajnikant, the director of the NGO.

Meanwhile processions were also observed in southern Tamil Nadu state's Coimbatore city where school children took to the streets in observance of the day.

The rally, which was flagged off by the local district authorities, saw schoolchildren taking to the streets while carrying placards and banners to highlight the evils of child labour in the country.

"Today we are creating awareness by celebrating awareness in this rally in Coimbatore. We have to abolish child labour, it is a big abuse for the nation. We have to abolish it so that no child has to work," said Sangeetha, a participant in the rally.

June 12 is observed throughout the world as the World Child Labour Day to raise awareness against the prevalance of child labour in several countries worldwide.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates say that there are 218 million child labourers worldwide. The government's 2001 census estimated 12.7 million involved in child labour and children constitute 3.6 per cent of the total labour force of the country.

Seminars are being held across the country by the central government and various states to address the issue of child labour.

Intro

Processions and meets are being organised in different parts of India to observe the World Child Labour Day.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Shotlist

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (JUNE 12, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. A POSTER READING 'ECOLOGICAL CHILD RIGHTS IN UNCRC'

2. A GROUP OF CHILDREN HOLDING PLACARDS SHOUTING SLOGANS

3. TWO YOUNG GIRLS WEARING RED BANDS ON THEIR HEADS SHOUTING SLOGANS

4. A CHILD HOLDING A PLACARD IN FRONT OF THE OTHER CHILDREN SHOUTING SLOGANS

5. A MAN SHOUTING SLOGANS

6. A PLACARD WRITTEN IN HINDI

7. GROUPS OF CHILDREN SHOUTING SLOGANS WHILE SEATED IN FRONT OF A HUGE POSTER

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DIRECTOR OF HUMAN WELFARE ASSOCIATION, RAJNIKANT, SAYING:

"These kind of programmes are very impactful. It is a matter of children and they themselves are raising their voices here. The government takes it very seriously, which is why the law for a child's Right to Education has been established. Otherwise there would have been none. We believe that in the coming times, the ecological rights of the children would be enforced in the declaration of the UNCRC. Child labour will go down in Uttar Pradesh and children will go to school in large numbers."

COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (JUNE 12, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

9. A GROUP OF PEOPLE TAKING OUT A LARGE BANNER IN A PROCESSION

10. A GROUP OF CHILDREN PLAYING DRUMS WHILE MARCHING IN THE PROCESSION IN A ROW

11. GROUPS OF CHILDREN WALKING IN A ROW

12. GROUPS OF YOUNG SCHOOLGIRLS WALKING IN A ROW

13. A GROUP OF YOUNG SCHOOLBOYS CARRYING PLACARDS WITH THEM

14. A GROUP OF BOYS CARRYING PLACARDS WITH THEM

15. A POLICE PERSONNEL WALKING WITH A GROUP OF GIRLS HOLDING PLACARDS WALKING IN A ROW

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANGEETHA, A PARTICIPANT IN THE RALLY, SAYING:

"Today we are creating awareness by celebrating awareness in this rally in Coimbatore. We have to abolish child labour, it is a big abuse for the nation. We have to abolish it so that no child has to work."

17. GROUPS OF CHILDREN WALKING IN A ROW ON A ROAD