APPEAL

Background:

The Bal Adhikar Yatra is a campaign to create consciousness about the young child’s right to food. It aims to mobilise public action, consolidate the right to food struggle, and put pressure on the government to accept the followings demands: -

  • The fundamental right to live with dignity.
  • The end of hunger, under nutrition and starvation death.
  • The enactment of comprehensive law on the right of children.
  • Universalization of ICDS with quality.

This campaign is part of the Right to Food campaign, which started in 2001 with a PIL born out of the starvation deaths in Rajasthan. In this connection, the Supreme Court ordered the Government of India to implement the nine National Food related Schemes and appointed a Commissioner to oversee the implementation of this order and report back to the Court. At ground level, a peoples’ campaign for ‘The Right to Food’ was set in motion and has gradually gained in strength. As part of the Campaign, two Conventions were held in Calcutta (November 2005) and Hyderabad (April 2006). At these Conventions, the issue of the “Young Childs “Right to Food gained importance within the campaign. Because of the critical importance of nutrition and care during the first six years of life, there was wide consensus that the issue needed special focus through a Bal Adhikar Yatra.

The Bal Adhikar Yatra Campaign in Delhi is scheduled for 14-21 Nov, 2006, and is being organised by Networks, NGO’s, Women’s wings of Trade Unions and members of the Right to Food Campaign. It will comprise of basti meetings, rallies, nukkad nataks etc. to spread an awareness of the importance of Early Childhood Care and Development; the ICDS programme and its provisions; and, the wider issue of Child’s Right to Food and its link with Right to Life. The Campaign will also spread information on the Supreme Court order for the universalization of the ICDS programme and mobilize people to demand the opening of ICDS centres their area and ensure that every child has the opportunity of going to a quality ICDS centre.

Relevance of the Campaign to Delhi

The relevance of this Campaign in Delhi will be better understood if the following health indicators are looked at:

  • IMR ( Mortality Rate per thousand children under 1 year of age): 65.4
  • UFMR ( mortality rate per thousand children under 5) : 83
  • Malnutrition : 42 %
  • Sex ratio of under sixes : 865: 1000

Of the 20 lakh children under six in Delhi, 5 lakhs reside in jhugghi bastis in a degraded environment devoid of basic facilities.The number of ICDS centres has been limited - and a mere 94,000 children have been covered. To further compound the situation of neglect in Delhi, the aggressive demolition drive of recent years has pushed out large numbers of families to outlying areas of the city, greatly increase the threat to the survival and development of children.

ICDS is the only national programme addressing the needs and rights of the under sixes. There is thus an urgent need to develop a peoples’ campaign to universalize ICDS with quality and protect the fundamental rights of survival and development of young children.

The weeklong Campaign will culminate at a central point, bringing people from different walks of life, Media, NGOs, Networks, etc with a common objectives on a common platform.

Planning for the Campaign

With the clear-cut mandate from the Convention (Hyderabad) to organise the Bal Adhikar Yatra in Delhi.

Tentative Programme:

  • One week- (about 14 locations) community meetings, street plays.
  • One public meeting at Ambedkar Lawn

Networks / Organizations Participating in the Campaign: -

  • Members of Organisations: Asha Vikas Pariyojana , Casp Delhi, Delhi Bal Adhikar Manch, Delhi Forces, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, , Mobile Crèches , NAFRE Neev ,NFIW , Nirmaan, Right to Food Campaign, Sajha Manch, Shiv Rajni Kala Kunj, Sneh Bandhan and Udayan care .

Appeal To All

The participating organizations and individuals are contributing a major share of the campaign budget but there is a shortfall of around Rs. 1, 80, 500. We appeal to you to contribute for the cause and help us to cross the barriers and initiate to achieve basic human needs with the eradication of mal functioning of the ICDS Programmes and promote the universalisation of ICDS with the help of Bal Adhikar Yatra.We Kindly request you to please contribute your valuable support.

Note: Cheques to be prepared in the name of Bal Adhikar Yatra

Udayan Care

C - 9, Lajpat Nagar III,

New Delhi - 110024

Ph: 29840151 / 32603837