MARCH 31: When a few hundred people protest against child labour in Mumbai, it might not make news. But when children and social workers from over 12 countries do the same in various cities spread over several countries with support from 7,000 organisations in 99 nations, it is a voice that will be heard, or so the organisers of the Global March against Child Labour hope."The objective of the 80,000 km march is to mobilise worldwide efforts against the economic exploitation of children," says Kailash Satyarthi, international co-ordinator of the Global March and chairperson of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS). The march is also intended to sensitise governments of various countries and international agencies including the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for more budgetary allocation for children's education.
The march is being conducted in Asia, America and Africa. In Asia, the march started in Philippines. The marchers reached Mumbai on Monday and aftertravelling in a few more places in India, will move to Pakistan and Iran. The marchers from the three continents will congregate in Europe and from there will go to Geneva to attend the ILO's conference where they will highlight the problems of working children.
Nearly 30 children, of which 19 are foreigners, are participating in the march which started in Philippines. Ed Jones, a 15-year-old from Philippines, started working in a construction company at the age of 11 when his father died. He was rescued by an organisation Visayan Forum and now studies in the eighth standard.
Chedi Sada is one of the Indian participants in the march. At the age of seven, he was lured away from his home in Uttar Pradesh by three men who promised him sweets. He was taken to Bihar where he was forced to weave carpets. He was rescued by the Mukti Sangathan. Chedi now stays in New Delhi and goes to school.
"We did face a lot of opposition especially from European countries and the USA. It took us over a year and a half toconvince organisations in the Latin American and African countries," said Satyarthi. In February 1997, they held a three-day meeting in Holland where people from 99 countries participated and smoothed out differences.
Even after they started the march, governments of certain countries tried to interrupt. "In Indonesia, the marchers were put in jail for a day. In Malaysia too the government was very hostile towards us," says Satyarthi. In India, they have received a mixed response. "While the states have shown quite a lot of enthusiasm, there has been no response from the Centre," he adds.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
