BANGALORE: It was an occasion when street children had their say and to none other than Minister for Women and Child Welfare H.K. Kumaraswamy.

The function was a Bala Mela organised by ECHO, a non-governmental organisation working for juvenile justice, when street children took time off from their daily worries and troubles.

The contentious issue of child labour, now banned in the State, came to the fore when 13-year-old Srinivas stood up and told the Minister: "Sir, my mother is suffering from cancer and she is on her death bed. I am the eldest son and I have to work in order to earn the money needed for my mother's treatment. But I have been stopped from working and put in a child home. I am asked to study when my mind is always on my mother's condition. Give me a solution which will help me perform my duty."

The Minister had no immediate solution to offer. Col. Mitran, who is part of ECHO, suggested one option could be opening special schools where children could be permitted to work during daytime and study in the evenings. However, MLA Ivan Nigli objected to it saying such a move would adversely affect street children's education.

Even as this discussion was the problem of a 17-year-old girl cropped up, which again related to the demands of her family. She said lack of employment avenues had forced her into prostitution in order to support for her family of six.

The interaction went on for an hour at the end of which the Minister assured to take action.

Later the street children participated in various games and cultural programmes held at Jyothi High School grounds. They then exchanged view with Master Kishen, the child director of the film C/o Footpath, which tells the story of a street child's fight to be literate.

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