VELLORE: The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize awarded jointly to Kailash Satyarthi, founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan and Child Activist Malala Yousafzai, has brought to focus the importance of protecting the rights of children worldwide, according to Andrew Sesuraj, state convener of Tamilnadu Child Rights Observatory. In a statement he said that the award also coincided with the silver jubilee of the adoption of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
‘With so much of awareness and action taken, India is still one of the countries with a sizable number of children outside school as labourers and those inside seldom learning anything,’ he added.
Quoting the Nobel committee, he pointed out that despite efforts to achieve the goal of eliminating child labour, there are still around 168 million child labourers. While congratulating the awardees, he said that it was a matter of pride for civil-society activism that the voices against child labour were being recognized.
TNCRO has also appealed to the state and the central governments of India and Pakistan to strengthen the movement so well personified by Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai and respect the rights of children the world over.