Bal Adhikar Sammelan - September 2008

As I have been away immediately after the Sammelan, there is a bit of delay in posting this..

On 2nd Sept, there was a public meeting and rally of many stakeholders in Child Rights movement, at Delhi. It was second in series, so to say, coming after first huge public meeting in Hyderabad in 2006 (though that convention itself was a narrowing of the focus on "Children's right to food" from overall "right to food and work" demands in Kolkata convention in 2005). Activists in the Rights campaign and representatives of civil society organizations were the main participants, though it also included Anganwadi workers, Gram panchayat members and academicians. I found the coming together of these different sets a very good method and the validation sought by the leaders of the campaign from the grassroots workers was welcome and noteworthy. Maybe this is the way things run in many movements...I'm just stepping into the waters. The whole rally was carefully organized, with open invitations sent more than a month in advance, across networks (formed in earlier meetings), with the form of the sammelan (a public meeting -- Experience sharing/lectures +songs etc -- followed by the Rally, and possibility of other options) also under discussion in the preparatory meetings with NGO representatives. It was quite a 'democratic' experience for me.
I think I was surprised because the movement has noteworthy and powerful names in its leadership, and the leverage allowed to participants in shaping the event as also the demands was unexpected. But quite possibly, this is the result of learnings over past conferences and public meetings, as also the requirement to keep the movement open to diverse voices. AND MY, were there voices! More than 800 people had gathered from 15 different states to demand (with varying shifts in focus) -
children's right to food (nutritious, hot, cooked meals from local foods),
children's right to education (especially, that of under 6 - ECCE) ,
better work distribution and compensation packages for AWWs,
Universalization of ICDS services (with quality),
maternity entitlements and Crèches for working mothers...

well, there was host of demands...most of which had already been discussed in the groups and could be incorporated in the campaign document, but there were others too, some insisting on the environment part of the debate, some on the workers involved.

The public meeting was at Malvankar Hall lawns, and specifically aimed to allow local representatives to share stage with leaders, to "hear their voices." So, though the leaders of the campaign - the secretariat of the Right To Food and Jan Swasthya and Right To Education campaigns - came to the stage to show their presence and solidarity, they did not speak. Anganwadi workers, mothers, NGO activists all came up to the stage to say why they thought and believed in the demands expressed by the campaign. I think it made a lot of sense when these people came up and said they wanted good Anganwadis, or children should get cooked food, and how education benefits children, how women became empowered when they became part of the CSO work....it was real, and it reaffirmed the grassroots logic. Most people who had nominated themselves to speak got the chance to speak on stage. There were songs and slogans by all groups, especially, I noted, by women's groups. It really cheered up the atmosphere.

There was food made by Anganwadi workers, and it was nice. Coz it was the same 'khichdi' (hot, cooked meal made of local foods) that was being given to Anganwadi children in Delhi. [Some people used this as an example to show that children get this boring, repetitive and almost bland food, while some noted the fact that they do get hot cooked meal -it is possible, manageable.] After having food, people left in groups, to assemble at Jantar-Mantar. As the permission of the Rally was only upto Parliament Street, some visitors found it annoying. But, it was accounted for , and expectedly, at the end of the Rally, a small group of 5 was invited by the PM to present the Charter of Demands (which had been formulated over many months, as also read out over and over again to everybody for confirmation).

As rallies go, this was a success. As learnings go, this was a huge one for me. And as affirmations of interest in, and importance of ECCE was very evident in the meeting, it gladdened my heart a lot.

Those interested can see the related documents at the google group page