Small feet, eyes wide with expectation, hundreds of children pour into the schoolyard of the Keradi Higher Primary School. Most of them, not taller than four feet have walked couple of hours to get there. They have crossed boulders, thickets and jumped across creeks and streams to take part in the `First Ever Children’s Grama Sabha of Karnataka’.

Keradi had never before seen such excitement. It is a typical example of a very remote Indian village, which has been ignored for several decades by the political parties as well as governmental administrators. The few officials who have paid a rare visit to Keradi cannot forget it in a hurry. The terrain is very challenging and the infrastructure is far too scanty to cater even to half the population. No buses leave Keradi after 6.30p.m. Out of sight and out of mind of the majority of the country. That is one of the reasons why the event in Keradi, in the foothills of the Western Ghats takes on a special significance.

The children of Keradi had prepared several days for the Grama Sabha. The children’s Panchayat of Keradi have been at the lead with Bhima Sangha, right beside them, holding discussions and consultations in 8 different wards of Keradi.

Bhima Sangha and Makkala Panchayat, are both powerful advocates of rights of children. Bhima Sangha is a union of, by and for children. Makkala Panchayat is a parallel Panchayat of children, elected by all children in the Panchayat. It consists of representatives of working children, school going children and children with disabilities.

The NGO, the Concerned for Working Children (CWC) facilitated the programme. CWC presently implements its programmes in several urban and rural districts of Karnataka and is committed to the eradication of child labour and facilitation of children’s empowerment. It works towards enabling and enhancing the participation of children in decision making and governance on all matters that concern them.

CWC has been working in the rural areas of Karnataka, India, through the Panchayat Toofan Programme. Under this programme the organisation has facilitated the formation of Bhima Sangha and Makkala Panchayats in all the Toofan Panchayats. These groups have been playing proactive roles as change agents in the community. Members of Makkala Panchayats and Bhima Sangha have conducted research studies, made interventions on the basis of the information they collect, lobbied with the officials at various levels for developments in their communities, collectively fought for their rights as children. They have made themselves heard in the state, national and international policy discussions and have advocated for consulting children in matters that concern them.

Keradi, is one of the Toofan Panchayats. CWC has been working in this Panchayat for six years and over the years the incidence of child labour has come down negligible figures and all the socio-economic indicators of the Panchayat has tremendously improved. In fact the Panchayat will be declared child labour free within a few months.

The children of Keradi are giving the local Panchayats a new lease of life with their active involvement in not only identifying the problems they face, but also proposing solutions.

More than a thousand children of Keradi Panchayat took part in the Grama Sabha which was successfully conducted on January 29^, 2002 They made detailed presentations regarding the issues and problems they identified related to education, basic facilities, personal problems, gender discrimination, disability and child labour. Their audience included Sri. Vinay Kumar Sorake, MP, members of the Taluk and Gram Panchayats, Government officials from the District and Panchayat levels.

The issues collected from each ward were compiled after detailed discussions. For instance, one of the problems that came up was the lack of footbridges that severely hampered the mobility of children as well as adults. When children discussed this further, they realised that if they wished to suggest specific solutions, they had to collect more details such as where exactly the foot bridges were required, of what length, how many people would benefit from that etc. Adult facilitators helped them in this process by asking critical questions and pointing out the significance of some of their observations.

When they listed their problems, children made it amply clear that they had explored the matter thoroughly. They went into great details and so they were able to not just raise a problem but also propose solutions that were most appropriate to them. For instance, their list in connection with children with disabilities was in-depth and showed a tremendous empathy towards children challenged by disabilities. It also suggested ways by which the quality of life of these children may be improved. What was most significant was that children included ‘attitudinal’ issues in their observations as well as analysis.

Children clearly demonstrated how they could use political space to negotiate with the local governments and influence decision-making processes.

Responding to the creative and powerful presentations made by children, Sri. Sorake said, " This Grama Sabha is exemplary. Children have pointed out very specific problems and have also suggested specific solutions. All their points have been backed with detailed statistics. Most often the adult Panchayats or the concerned departments do not have such in-depth information. I highly appreciate the fact that children first conducted surveys and held discussions among themselves before presenting the points here. This children’s Gramasabha, held in Keradi, one of the most remote Panchayats of Karnataka, should become a role model for all Panchayats".

Mr. Sorake made a personal commitment to go into each of the problems raised and to discuss them with the concerned departments. He suggested that periodic reviews be held to monitor how the officials and the elected representatives will act upon the children’s demands.

Children and adults of the communities worked together for weeks to set the stage for this mega event was a culmination of a series of smaller ward-level children’s Grama Sabhas. The government schools in these areas were the venues for the programmes where children carried out discussions about issues which concern them, what they think needs to be done and about their vision for a dream Panchayat. They also had fun making kites, telling stories, doing pottery and many such activities. Each of the children brought a fistful of rice, lentils or vegetables that they cooked together for lunch – a subtle, yet loud message of caste, class and gender equality.

Children and their family members had walked long distances to take part in this event which they described was like a village festival (oora habba). Prior to this, 8 ward level Grama Sabhas had been conducted where children had taken part in child-rights workshops, discussed issues and spent several hours on creative activities. Their products had been displayed in Keradi along with the wall-news magazines prepared by children of each of the wards, a testimony to their pride and sense of achievement.

Damodhar Acharya, Executive Director, CWC explains how our education and societal processes give very little, if at all, scope for children’s participation which is critical to the development of the children. "The children’s Grama Sabha is an interface between children and the political system, perhaps the first of its kind" he says. "Unlike the many mock-parliament sessions which children participate in, what we have here is real and will surely lay the foundation for a very sound practice of children’s participation. Processes such as these that start from the grassroots bring in long lasting transformations".

Kavita Ratna
Director – Samwada
The Concerned for Working Children, India