The Concerned for Working Children

Vinay Kumar Sorake, District- in-charge Minister, Kundapur, stated that the 56 Special Women & Children Gram Sabhas held across Kundapur is a role model for entire Karnataka in an convention, held  on the thinking towards the protection of women and children in Kundapur taluk on November 14, 2014. Kundapur Taluk Panchayat in collaboration with The Concerned for Working Children and the Gram Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolana held this Convention in light of the Special Women and Children’s Gram Sabhas which were held across 56 Panchayats in Kundapur taluk starting from 18 August, 2014. Due to the recent sexual assaults on women and children, the collective need felt – by the Gram Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats, Police Departments and the women and children – was to have this pilot process focus on the need to create systems that ensure safety and protection of women. A total of 13, 413 women and 7361 children had participated in 56 gram sabhas. They have collectively raised and begun to resolve 1,178 issues. This is the first time such a large scale pilot of Women and Children’s Gram Sabha has taken place in the state of Karnataka.

Women and child representatives used this platform to raise the issues related to lack of infrastructure in schools, alcohol issues, safety issues of women and children due to illegal stone quarrying across Kundapur taluk and other safety and protection aspects of women and children at public places. They tied red tapes to the pillar in the hall to serve as a constant reminder for the issues to be addressed by the representatives of the governement.  Responding to the issue of the illegal  sale of liquor raised by the women and children concerning the Revenue department, Vinay Kumar Sorake  said that nearly 148 legislators had signed for a bill to stop the illegal sale of liquor, which could not be pushed due to various reasons. He also said that the Revenue department must work closely with the gram panchayats and taluk panchayats to stop illegal sale of liquor in petty shops in villages. MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary  stated that the the members of the panchayat and the gram panchayat are those who should  decide how the gram sabhas would be conducted.

Makkala Mitras (Children’s Friends) and the Mahila Mitras (Women’s Friends) chosen by the women and children from all the 56 panchayats in Kundapur taluk were also recognized and announced during this event.  The event also witnessed  the release of the book, ‘Kattuvevu Naavu Kankanava’ (together we tie the bond), which contains the entire process of the Special Women & Children Gram Sabhas .

The event was indeed a  step towards forming the Taluk panchayat task force, which constitute the Taluk panchayat president and Vice president, the state legislators representing the Taluk, the representatives chosen by the women and children at the panchayat level, the Makkala Mitras, the Mahila Mitra, the presidents and the vice presidents of the 56 gram panchayats in Kundapur in order to oversee the implementation of the decisions taken at the special gram sabhas for women and children in the light of their safety and protection in all the 56 panchayats in Kundapur taluk. The president of the Taluk panchayat Bhaskar Billawa gave the welcoming speech and mentioned regarding the involvement of the taluk panchayat in making the special gram sabhas for women and children in the light of safety and protection of women and children a successful process. Ganapathi.M.M, Assistant Director, The Concerned for working children explained regarding the constitution of the Taluk panchayat task force and regarding the members who would be a part of the committee. The women and children presented the issues concerning different departments like education, mining and revenue departments and tied red tapes to the pillar in the hall, which was the process used by the women and children at the gram sabhas to represent their issues by tying red tapes to a tree or pillar at the gram panchayat office and make it visible to the gram panchayats and the people’s representatives and serve as a constant reminder for it to be addressed.

Several taluk, district and state level people’s representatives, ministers and legislators including  Bhaskar Billawa, President, Kundapur taluk panchayat, chief guests Haladi Srinivas Shetty, MLA, Kundapur taluk, K. Gopala Poojari, MLA, Byndoor, K. Pratap Chandra Shetty, MLC, Kota Srinivas Poojari, MLC member attended this event.

Read more about the 56 Special Women & Children’s Gram Sabhas held across Kundapur taluk