Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child arranged one-day festival on Child Bonded Labour in which members from the civil society, journalists, intellectuals, poets, official from labour department, labourers, politicians, advocates, students, farmers, peasants and students participated in a large number.
Speaking at the festival, Taj Haider from the PPP said "if we want the rule of Law then we will have to eradicate religious extremism. The opponents tried to defeat us but they are defeated and they would never success, our party has strong future vision. If Sparc takes any step for the rights of labourers even for the District Vigilance Committee or any work at policy level our government will support it. The student who delivered speeches truly depicted the plight of education, but I think the society and the people should take initiatives for their rights. The teachers get more salary even from provincial member of Assembly."
Earlier, Sparc Executive Director Zarina Jilani, Sparc National Manager Kashif Bajeer, Noor Muhammad Bajeer, Punhal Sario, Advocate Shahzado Saleem, Dr Ashothama, Iqbal Detho, Zahid Thebo, Nazra Jahan, members of Civil Society, labourers and students participated in a large number. Government official from Labour Department, Education Department and police also participated while students presented Tableaus and delivered speeches on child bonded labour.
Taj Haider said "rupees 111 billion allocated for education in the province whereas teachers perform duties just for 154 days and two or three hours in a day." He offered Sparc to prepare a plan for education in Mithi especially for those children who worked at sand dunes. Zareena Jilani, Sparc Executive Director said the government, civil society and NGOs would have to work together to abolish bonded labour system from the country.
She expressed pleasure that she had seen such a large number of children at one place to raise voice for their rights and enjoy the event. "The children of Tharparkar are more aware than those from Islamabad. I hope that the change will certainly come soon as I see zeal in the children of Mithi" she further said.
Kashif Bajeer said that after the adoption of 18th Amendment by the parliament, the situation had deteriorated further because "the implementation of labour-related policies is the job of the provinces and the federal government no longer sees itself as responsible for safeguarding the interests of the labourers, he further added. Zahid Thebo said there was no school for the children of brick kiln workers. The children of labourers work with their parents at the kilns and are being deprived of their basic right of education.-PR