North Bengal Child Rights Network (NBCRN) members working for child rights in West Bengal came together for a state-level planning meeting to discuss the upcoming 44-day Child Rights Campaign on 9th May 2023 at Anugyalaya Darjeeling Diocese Social Service Society. The campaign aims to raise awareness about child rights and their importance in society.

The meeting was attended by representatives of ten member organisations namely Edith Wilkins Street Children Foundation, Kunchanjunga Udhar Kendra, My Choice Foundation, International Justice Mission, Tiny hands India, CINI Siliguri, Bal Suraksha Abhiyan, Seva Kendra Siliguri and Darjeeling Mary Ward. Ms Alisha, Seva Kendra Siliguri and the NBCRN convenor moderated the meeting where organizations shared their views on the importance of child rights and the need for a comprehensive campaign.

The meeting began with a discussion on the relevance of child rights and the importance of raising awareness on the important days of observance including Environment Day and Anti-Child Labour Day. The participants decided to observe the day on 7th June 2023 with a host of activities including rallies, poster competitions and street theatre on issues related to child labour, child marriage /Early marriage.

Campaign Against Child labour (CACL), West Bengal Chapter officially requested NBCRN to join the CACL movement. CALC has members across 18 states including NGOs, Academicians, Lawyers, Social Activists, Trade Unions, Women’s Organisations, etc. working towards total Eradication of Child Labour up to 18 Years of Age. The member’s organisation agreed on the need to be part of such a movement that aims at the creation of a society in which all children have equal opportunities for development and that they grow as responsible citizens with a view of coexistence, sustainable development and social justice leading to peace for all.

Ms. Asha Ekka, Program lead of Child Development along with the co Convenor of CACL WB shared about the 44 Days Campaign which began on 30th April 23 and will be culminating on 12th June 23, with a series of events taking children and youth, colleges in Kolkata and surrounding districts and like-minded individual to commemorate this day. CACL requested NBCRN to join this campaign to spread awareness to put an End to Child Labour across West Bengal.

A similar meeting was organised by Caritas India in its Kolkata office in collaboration with WB CACL on 12th May 2023 to spell out its plan and concretise the roadmap for a culmination day event. This meeting was attended by Malda Sohogojita Samity, Bal Suraksha Abhiyan Trust, Baikanthapur Tarun Sangha, Nari O Sishu Kalyan Kendra, SPMUS, Development Professional, DRCSC, Garan Bose Gram Bikas Kendra, Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre, TdH Swisse, Save the Children India and Matrfat had participated in the meeting. As special guests for the meeting were Consultants from the West Bengal State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBSCPCR) Ms. Susmita Chandra and Mr. Raja Das.

The meeting decided to continue the campaign in collaboration with WBSCPCR at a few stages. The Convenor informed that though the National Rule for Child Labour Prohibition and Rehabilitation Act has come up long back, yet the state role is yet to be formulated. The SCPCR members suggested CACL members draft a document following the National Rule and share it with Chairperson WBSCPCR for further action.

A 5-member core committee was formed with Caritas India being one of the members. This committee will take up the initiative to develop the draft SOP and the approval will be presented before the WBSCPCR.

One of the major decisions taken during the meeting was to publish a report on the views and aspirations of the people on the issues of child rights. The discussion revolved around the methodology of data collection, the nature and type of analysis, and the dissemination of the report. Mr. Arup Das from Marfat volunteered to prepare a short questionnaire for data collection and share it by next week. Adding to the discussion Dr. Jaynata Munshi, Lead, Child Development from Caritas India expressed his concerns on analysing qualitative data by the organisations.

The participants also discussed the need for a comprehensive social media campaign to reach a wider audience. It was decided to update the activities on the CACLWB social media handles to keep the public informed about the campaign’s progress.

In conclusion, the planning meeting for the 44-day Child Rights Campaign in Kolkata was a significant step towards promoting child rights and raising awareness about their importance in society. The meeting’s decisions, including the publication of a report and a comprehensive social media campaign, will help to reach a wider audience and promote the cause of child rights. The campaign’s culminating event on 12 June 2023 is expected to be a significant milestone in the promotion of child rights in Kolkata.