DIBRUGARH, June 12 - Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha today called for re-examining the communication strategy adopted in fighting child labour in the society.
Addressing stake holders including government agencies, NGO workers, police, women group leaders and corporate bodies during a district-level consultation on the occasion of the observance of World Day Against Child Labour here, Jha said: �If series of workshops, awareness campaigns and other social interventions against child labour are not yielding the desired result, the communication strategy ought to be changed altogether. There must be an effective communication plan each for varying learning capacity communities and age groups to really achieve something substantial.�
He pointed out that huge resources were being used to hold such programmes and campaigns but results were not at all satisfying. �We are really failing in our communication. We ought to know the learning capacities of different people. We must also know their preferred medium of learning. We must improve our response. There is need to build the capacity of the frontline workers, officers, NGO workers, and organisation leaders. We must also engage the grass root workers like gaonburahs, ASHA workers, women group leaders and Village Defence Party leaders,� said the DC.
The Deputy Commissioner also urged the Education department, particularly the teachers of schools to be more involved in the campaign. �Teachers in schools have access to children so they will know students who get engaged in child labour. They can report such cases directly to the district task force,� the DC stated.
The consultation was jointly organised by District Legal Service Authority, district administration and Socio Educational Welfare Association (SEWA) with support from Save the Children, a pan India NGO. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarter) Samir Duta Boruah, secretary of District Legal Service Authority Rani Boro, Assistant Labour Commissioner PP Bastola and Child Welfare Committee chairperson Deepom Boruah also delivered talks on issues pertaining to child labour offences, related laws, rescue and rehabilitation procedures etc.
Earlier retired Air Marshal Anjan Kumar Gogoi, the president of the host NGO, SEWA welcomed the guests and other invited stakeholders. The programme was compered by Arfan Hussain, Project Director, SEWA. Audio visual clips on child labour were also screened for the assembled gathering.
