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Eight minor girls rescued from circus

PATNA, AUG 17. Eight minor girls, who were once part of the Apollo Circus, became `richer' today through the efforts of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA).

State Labour Commissioner Vivek Singh distributed bank drafts of Rs 1,000 each and also `Mukti Praman Patras' (freedom certificates) to these girls in a simple and brief function organised by BBA and state social security directorate here.

The BBA has tied up with Bihar Social Security directorate for changing lives of these children.

BBA chairperson Kailash Satyarthi in his message exhorted the government and NGOs to accelerate their efforts to bring back smiles on faces of all these `children of a lesser God'.

All these children performing in Apollo Circus at Rajgir in Nalanda district were rescued by BBA activists last week.

Mr Singh said the labour department would take legal action against the circus owner under the Bonded Labour Act as the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court had declared the use of children for performing in circus as hazardous.

He said all district magistrates would also be directed to ensure that circus owners did not violate rules and regulations mentioned in Child Labour Act.

He said that Rs 20,000 each would be sent to respective authorities of the children's native states for their rehabilitation. Nalanda police had also lent its helping hand in liberating the girls following Bihar Legislative Council Chairman Professor Jabir Hussain's directive.

BBA convener Ajay Kumar Singh said some of the children had been in the circus for many years and were used to be thrown around in the air and being kept under elephants to entertain spectators. Majority of these girls were from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and other traditional supplier states of circus performers. -- UNI

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