KEEPING KALAM ALIVE
OBJECTIVE Campaign aims at ensuring that every child in the world goes to school
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who was in Lucknow on Wednesday, said he was all set to launch a campaign called ‘Hundred Million for Hundred Million’ which was aimed at ensuring that all children in the world got education in schools. Actor Dia Mirza said the planet earth was always a liveable place. But in recent times there has been too much of tinkering with natural resources. If each one of us do good things the world will remain a liveable place. CM Akhilesh Yadav said his government was determined to work for the betterment of children and funds would not be any hindrance.
Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi is all set to launch a campaign – ‘100 Million for 100 Million’ – which is aimed at ensuring that every child in the world goes to school. He said the drive will be launched this year and urged youths to be a part of it.
“Let 100 million young people — who have food, security, education and good prospects in life — become the voice of their 100 million unfortunate counterparts,” he said while speaking on the concluding day of APJ Abdul Kalam International conclave jointly organised by Kalam Centre and APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU).
“There are 100 million children, youth and girls in the world who are victims of violence, malnutrition, sexual exploitation or are not receiving any education,” said Satyarthi.
The Nobel Peace prize winner appealed to all 100 million youths in schools and colleges to join hands with him to create awareness so that policy-makers across the world are forced to take measures to ensure that nobody is deprived of formal education.
“Today there are more bullets than pencils in the world, and more arms and ammunition than schools across the globe. The entire world is investing heavily to protect boundaries and to strengthen their defence. But if they divert some portion of the defence budget for school and education, it will be a great service to the nation,” he said.
Satyarthi, also the founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, said millions of children across the world are engaged in child labour while millions of adults and youths are unemployed. “Why can’t this be reversed. It will be a win-win situation for the humanity. The entire world must come together to fight out illiteracy, child labour and poverty,” he said.
He appealed to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav that young leaders like him should come out of conventional politics and engage in works that address the needs of the next generation. Satyarthi urged Dimple Yadav, MP to engage in social issues like child health and hygiene.
Satyarthi, who has been a campaigner for child rights nationally and internationally for three decades, is focussed on freeing children who are forced into exploitative labour. In 2014, Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Prize with Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. He did not stop there and his campaign against child labour continues.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav assured that his government would leave no stone unturned for the betterment of children’s education in the state. He also listed out as how his government was taking steps to make planet earth a livable place through several initiatives like planting 5 crore saplings, constructing cycle tracks, parks and many other things.
Yadav and Satyarthi jointly honoured many achievers who were working in the field of youth empowerment. The list of awardees includes: Padma Shri Arunachalam Murganatham, Bollywood actor Dia Mirza, former cricketer Javagal Srinath, Anshu Gupta of GOONJ, an NGO and many others.
The chief minister released a book penned by Srijan Pal Singh, an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate who worked very closely with Dr Kalam.