No child’s play: Bal Panchayat raises real issues

NEW DELHI: At a time when election fever has gripped the nation, the congested lanes of Indira Kalyan Vihar in Okhla Phase-I on Sunday witnessed 375 children getting their fingers inked to elect a bal panchayat of 11 members to give life to their dream of a child-friendly neighbourhood.

Nuzhat Parveen, with the electoral symbol of a clock, found herself in the hot seat of bal sarpanch when the results were declared in the evening. For the 13-year-old, the clock signifies the power time has in places where girls like her live.Due to lack of safety, girls are asked by worried parents to avoid stepping out of their homes after 6pm.
In her victory, her father, an e-rickshaw driver, and mother, a housewife, see a message of empowerment. As sarpanch, Parveen wants to walk with other girls, with the consistency that only a clock symbolises, to overcome the insecurity and make the neighbourhood safe.
The first ever exposure of children to a democratic election process has made the residents of this slum of 1,794 households take note of the needs and demands of the youngsters. There are about 3,000 children living there.
The election, conducted by Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), was aimed at giving children the confidence to stand up for their peers and taking responsibility to steer change. Rakesh Senger, KSCF programme director, said similar panchayats will be elected at Sanjay Camp in Chanakyapuri, Israil Camp and Inder Camp in Rangpuri Pahari on April 11, 15 and 18, respectively.
The foundation’s model of child-friendly villages with panchayats is functional in 560 villages in other states. The concept was extended over a year ago to urban slums, starting with Delhi, by setting up Bal Mitra Mandals where children come together to discuss community-related issues.
The voting started at 10am. At its peak around noon, the polling booth reflected the familiar scene seen during general election where adults queue up to vote. But here the identity documents were diverse. Children as young as seven were seen lining up armed with their school IDs and Aadhaar cards at the voting booth. Some wanted their candidate to raise the demand for clean toilets, drinking water and functional toilets in school, others hoped the children would rally for lanes free of filth and a safer environment.
The 11 candidates went through a rigorous five-day door-to-door campaigning conversing with their peers and elders. As per the code of conduct, no child was allowed to spend any money on the campaign. Voting took place through secret ballot, which was monitored by a Bal Chunav Aayog.
The stark difference in this poll was that no one lost the election. The one with the highest votes was elected sarpanch and the runner-up made the deputy (up-sarpanch) The remaining candidates were made panchayat members.
The manifesto reflected the severe challenges faced by children. From promising to work towards a child labour-free slum, ensuring all children are enrolled in school, to demanding from the authorities a park to play, clean drinking water and sanitation, the manifesto raised some critical concerns.
One of the candidates, 13-year-old Sundaram Jha, held a poster with a bird as the symbol. He explained, “Sab bachche poori tarah swatantra nahin hain (All children are not free)”. He cited the example of a boy who had lost his parents and was forced to work as a child labourer. As a bal panchayat member, he wants to free this child from child labour and allow him to fly like a bird.