Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Bharat Yatra launched to fight crime against kids

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 23 - Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi is embarking on a historic Bharat Yatra to spearhead the fight against child trafficking and child sexual abuse across the country. This campaign is the manifestation of his belief in �Surakshit Bachpan � Surakshit Bharat�.

The Yatra will be flagged off from Kanyakumari on September 11, from the Vivekananda Memorial, commemorating the anniversary of the great leader�s address at Chicago in 1893.

The Yatra will pass through 22 States covering 15,000 km and Union Territories over 35 days. The Yatra will start from Kanyakumari in the south, stretching across western India.

Guwahati will lead the Yatra from the eastern part of the country, while Srinagar will flag off the northern stretch. The culmination of the Yatra will be at national capital of Delhi on October 15.

The launch also saw families of victims of trafficking and abuse who narrated the emotional and physical trauma they had to endure because of the misdeeds of a few. The families pledged their support hoping that it would bring about the revolution the country needs to sustain its fight against the exploitation of children.

�Today, I declare a war on child sexual abuse and trafficking. Today I am announcing Bharat Yatra, the biggest movement in history to make India safe again for children. I refuse to accept that the innocence, smiles and freedom of our children can keep getting stripped and raped. These are not ordinary crimes. This is a moral epidemic haunting our nation,� Satyarthi said, announcing the Bharat Yatra with the parents of the survivors.

Bharat Yatra is the launch of the three-year campaign against child rape and child sexual abuse which is aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of the cases, strengthening intuitional response, including medical health and compensations, ensuring protection for victims and witnesses during trials and increasing convictions of child sexual abuse in a time-bound manner.

Satyarthi has been campaigning for the freedom, safety and security for children across the globe for the past 36 years. He has led the historic �Global March Against Child Labour� in 1998 that prompted the ILO to pass international conventions against the worst form of child labour, in addition to the Shiksha Yatra in 2001, after which the Right to Education was included as a fundamental right in the Constitution of India.

He won the Nobel Peace prize (2014) for his continuous efforts and struggle for the rights of children. As part of his ground work for the Yatra, Satyarthi has travelled the length and breadth of the country meeting citizens, faith leaders, employees and corporate, Parliamentarians, social organisations, among others, all of whom have pledged their whole-hearted support to the Bharat Yatra.

Next Story