Children not safe anywhere in the country: Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. (File)

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Saurday said children are now “not safe anywhere” in the country, while batting for a rigorous law against human trafficking, including child trafficking. “One of the major demands of the ‘Bharat Yatra’ campaign is that Parliament must pass a stringent law against human trafficking, including child trafficking,” Satyarthi said, flagging off the Meghalaya lap of the campaign.

He asserted that he has declared a war against crimes like rape, sexual abuse and child trafficking, and hoped the ‘Bharat Yatra’ campaign will make India safe again for children. “I refuse to accept that the innocence, smiles and freedom of our children can keep getting stripped and raped. These are not ordinary crimes. This is a moral epidemic haunting our nation,” he said.

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“Our children are not safe either in homes, schools or neighbourhood or anywhere, and the perpetrators (of such crimes) roam freely. We just cannot wait and watch,” Satyarthi said. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, along with Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai.

Hailing Satyarthi’s campaign, Meghalaya Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Zenith M Sangma said that the state government will leave no stone unturned to create a child-friendly society. Satyarthi had begun his 35-day-long nation-wide ‘Bharat Yatra’ march on September 11. The 11,000-km yatra will travel through 22 states, culminating in New Delhi on October 16.