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Young World
Dealing with difficult truths
S.S. KAVITHA
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The children were open for discussion and various nagging issues were thrashed out.
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Photo: G. Moorthy
Message in dance: Effective mode of expression.
If you think issues such as female infanticide, foeticide, child labour and marriage, sexual harassment and bonded labour are too serious and distant issues for children, it is better you change your attitude.Who is right?
Children in the age group of 8 to 18 from various centres in the city, questioned the authority of parents, besides discussing the mistakes committed by them, at the Vizha competitions organised by Nanban, a city-based non-governmental organisation working for the betterment of street and runaway children.
Though the children discussed a wide range of issues and topics, they highlighted how children are deprived of their rights at various levels at home and in schools by parents and teachers.
Empathy prevails
When the children quoted real incidents, the crowd listened with concern to their needs.
One child said how her 12-year-old friend was forged into a compulsory marriage to a 22-year-old man, while another child pointed out how teachers were prejudiced against giving opportunities to students who fairly scored good marks.
The children also sang awareness songs and gave a detailed report of various problems encountered by them in their local areas.
The children also performed skits highlighting their problems and performed 18 kinds of dance, including kolattam, oyilattam and karagattam, while SHG women entertained the crowd with their kummi dance.
As many as 400 children from various children’s centres (Sirar Arangams) and 200 women from self-help groups, and the public participated in and witnessed the event.
The winners of various competitions, 250 children and 175 women, were also honoured at a grand function.
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