cannot be expressed in words.
However, I will elaborate on a re-
cent rescue of a girl from Assam a
month ago. She had been missing
since 5-6 years. One day, the girl
called up the father and told him
that she was in Delhi. The father
came to Delhi in search for her.
After his third attempt to search
for her, he contacted us, and after a
period of time we got to know that
the girl was in Punjabi Bagh work-
ing as a domestic help. We went to
rescue the girl. On seeing the fa-
ther, the girl cried and screamed
loudly and went inside the house.
Sensing something is wrong, the
women activists who were with
me went to see inside what had
happened.
The girl couldn't face the father as
she was raped by the trafficker and
was pregnant. She wanted to com-
Social media is now a way to pre-
mit suicide. She was 15-16 years
vent exploitation. With just a touch
old and didn't know what to do.
of a button you can create quite
a lot of noise which is a different
Q. According to you what steps
way of raising a voice. You may
can be taken to protect children
not chant a slogan on the streets
from being exploited?
but you can create an even bigger
impact with your gadgets.
A. Consumers can boycott goods
and services that involve children
Q. Do personal attacks on you,
in manufacturing goods. Don't ac-
your team and your offices in
cept hospitality from restaurants
retaliation to rescue missions
and shops or roadside dhabas that
unnerve you? What keeps you
employ children. Have courage
going?
to tell them that you refuse to eat
there because they have employed
A. It's a part of life. We're working
children, which is a crime. It is il-
with broken families and broken
legal, immoral and unethi cal. This
people who have lost all hope and
will put psychological pressure on
are helpless. If people criticize me,
the industries. You can also de-
oppose my work, launch person-
mand a guarantee from the shops
al attacks, we know that we are
you visit, be it sporting goods, or
on the right path. One of my col-
even clothes, that they do not em-
leagues was shot and another was
ploy children. Even if you do not
beaten to death. I myself have been
buy anything, just simply question
injured my shoulder, leg, back and
the salesman whether he can guar-
head. All my activists have experi-
antee that no child labour was in-
enced this. What we are working
volved in the production of their
against is a social evil. If this evil is
goods.
not reacting or retaliating it means
*Interview Source- Times Of India
we are not a threat to it.
Q. What is the philosophy you
live by when times look bleak?
A. My philosophy is that I am a
friend of the children. I don't think
anyone should see them as pitiable
subjects or charity. That is old peo-
ple's rhetoric. People often relate
childish behaviour to stupidity or
foolishness. This mindset needs to
change. I want to level the playing
field where I can learn from the
children. Something I can learn
from children is transparency.
They are innocent, straightfor-
ward, and have no biases. I relate
children to simplicity and I think
that my friendship with children
has a much deeper meaning than
others.
“There is no greater
violence than to deny the
dreams of our children”
Kailash Satyarthi
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