Dr. Avnish Jolly, New Delhi, 14 May : Despite all development promises and claims, 80 per cent candidates contesting the current parliamentary elections in India do not have child welfare or right to education on their priority list. Candidates from the Left parties, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party fared the worst with respect to child rights and education issues. It is shameful that all the parties are only concerned about mudslinging at their opponents, driving the religion and caste divides deeper and not holding the child, education and development on the priority for Gen-Next.According to a recent survey conducted by child rights organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), of the 476 candidates that the organisation tracked across 175 constituencies in the country, only 49 had mentioned that elimination of child labour as one of their priorities. The survey was carried out in 18 states and six union territories. Candidates in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh showed the least interest in children’s issues, the study said.
According to Kailash Satyarthi Chairperson BBA, they had carried out the survey after scanning the campaign speeches of 476 candidates, quoting. In which more than 80 percent candidates did not have child rights issues on their agenda and around 35 candidates of the ones we tracked advocated strongly in favour of the right to education in their constituency. This, when the Right to Education bill is yet to be passed in the Parliament.
They found that of the major political parties, 19 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates took up the issue of child labour elimination and other child welfare issues in their agenda. Ensuring primary education formed the key agenda for 16 Congress candidates and the Left parties, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party Candidates fared the worst with respect to child rights and education issues.
A silver lining on this dismal scenario, according to BBA, was Samajwadi Party’s Ravi Prakash Verma who is contesting from Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. On his campaign plank was development, especially free and compulsory education for all.