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06 March 2007: At 9.00 A.M., the District Magistrate was scheduled to flag off the March but before the D.M. could arrive, local people complained that the D.M. himself employs child labourers in his house. It was then decided that the local coordinator of BBA – Afsana Parveen – shall flag off the March.
The Yatra reached Purnia at 10.30 A.M. where it was welcomed at the district border by local BBA activists and welcoming banners on the highway.
The Yatra reached Kasturba Gandhi School. It was the most inspiring and amazing sight to see little children of 7, 8, 9 yrs. joining in the Yatra shouting slogans and leading the march.
The meeting was held in the village of Harda organised by Harijan Aadiwaasi Shikshan Prashikshan Kalyan Sansthan, Purniya followed by lunch. After lunch, before moving on to Saharsa, the marchers saw a girl who was not in school uniform. Upon enquiry, it was found that she had dropped out of school a year ago. The activists met with her parents and convinced her mother to get her enrolled once again. After more than half an hour, she agreed and the local BBA activist, Ram Chandra Pandit, took it upon himself to follow up on the girl’s progress and enrolment.
The road from Purnia to Saharsa was nothing more than a few stones. The road allowed only 20 – 25 kms. per hour. However, the Yatra was welcomed en route at a village by the local villagers who had heard about the March. Addressing the villagers, Kalu, a former bonded labourer from Madhepura, rescued by BBA and who is now a stalwart in BBA in the fight against trafficking and slavery explained trafficking in the vernacular to the villagers.
Kailash Satyarthi said that children are the reflection of God and any child trafficked for slavery, is a blot on society. All the villagers and the children took a pledge to not let any trafficker misguide them and any trafficker who comes to the village or nearby areas will be dealt with severely at the village level.
The road to Saharsa was jammed due to an accident and the Yatra got stalled. Kailash Satyarthi took a hitch ride on a motor cycle to reach the meeting venue where more than 2000 people had been waiting for hours.
The massive rally was led by former child trafficking victims rescued by BBA. After the rally, when Kailash Satyarthi reached the meeting venue, it was a very emotional moment for all the children as they were meeting Satyarthi after a long time.
The meeting was started by a team of activists from Punjab who enacted the real life story of how a child from Bihar gets trafficked to Punjab into bonded labour. After years the child forgets his language and when he is rescued, he is not able to talk to his father or mother.
Kailash Satyarthi spoke at length about various children present during the meeting and the meeting culminated in a pledge by more than 300 former trafficked victims (children) that they will not let any child from being trafficked from their villages. |
