Karnataka: Child rights activists unhappy with manifestos

Child rights activists are unhappy with parties for not including safety and protection issues concerning kids in their manifestos.

The Child Rights Trust (CRT), which has compiled manifestos of all parties, pointed out that no party has included issues related to safety and protection of children, eradication of child marriage, child labour, etc.

As explained by activists, though there is stress on education, the manifestos create confusion.

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“BJP says it will help the party implement the National Education Policy in right earnest, if voted for power. Congress says it will scrap NEP if voted to power. Such contradictory announcements by parties create confusion among parents, children and other stakeholders,” CRT’s Nagasimha G Rao said.

According to activists, child safety and protection should have been the main focus of parties in post-Covid times.

“Not prioritising the rights and protection of children in the manifestos of the major parties shows how much they are concerned about children,” Rao said.

CRT has demanded that the parties release additional manifestos for children.

“Every child should be guaranteed survival, protection, development and participation rights as per the UN convention on the Rights of the Child, for which India is a signatory. By not making promises on child protection in their manifestos, are the parties tacitly telling us not to question them about children and child protection issues when they come to power?,” said Vasudeva Sharma N V, state convener of Karnataka Child Rights Observatory.