Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has competition from a tiny opponent.
Manoj Ghale, 11, is already eyeing the chair. Ask him why and pat comes the reply from the Class V student from Amjuli in Udalguri. “I like Himanta, but if I become the education minister then I think I can do better than him.” He was among the 165 participants at the Children’s State’s Child Rights Assembly organised by World Vision at Don Bosco Institute here today.
Students from various places, including Sonapur, Dhemaji and Jorhat, took part in the mock Assembly. During the three-day programme, which concluded today, they got information on various rights, including education and development, life and health, safety and protection, identity and participation.
Addressing the gathering at the Don Bosco Institute’s auditorium, Manoj said, “Sirf ek problem ho toh bolu! (Do I say just one problem?)” Dressed in white kurta and Nehru cap, this budding politician continued, “There is a primary school in our area with only one teacher to look after all the five classes. I wonder how she controls all those kids.”
“Besides lack of educational institutes, the roads are terrible and during emergency even the 108 ambulances cannot arrive on time. There are various instances of child labour, child marriage and sexual abuse,” he said.
Like Manoj, Sanjima Begum from Bhaskarnagar in Guwahati spoke on how many children in her area became addicted to illicit liquor because it is sold openly. Jhonson Phangso from Sonapur discussed the lack of higher educational institutes in his area. Speaking at the Assembly, Jhonson, who was also the Speaker said, “This child rights Assembly will help change things. After we go back we can work through our child panchayats in our areas.”
During the three-day Assembly, a scorecard was prepared to measure the progress of children’s rights in the country. The topics were narrowed down to four heads, which was later ranked by the participants. Life and health was voted as “very bad” by 96 students, 41 voted education and development as “very bad”, while the same grading was given to safety and protection and identity and participation by 81 and 55 children respectively. The children also elected ministers, various problems were discussed and a budget was passed. “The suggestions and the scorecard will be presented to the ministers so that the hard work of the children are brought to the notice of the people. Some of the participants will also represent the state at a national-level Assembly,” Kitkupar Shangpliang, communication manager of World Vision India, said.
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