An hour long citizen’s event has been organised near Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan to highlight one important issue: Our institutions are unsafe places for children.

In the light of the gruesome news reports of the murder and molestation of children in schools; the callous neglect of children in government hospitals leading to multiple deaths, and the reluctance of the powers that represent governance to address the issue in an impartial and methodical manner, this citizen’s initiative names ‘Awazen’  आवाज़ें or Voices will take place Today, 15th September at JP Golamber from 3:30 onwards.

“There is only one objective, and that is to bring home the fact that the central issue is safety of children in institutions, public or private. The protection of children from violence is a difficult proposition indeed when all around us, every day, on various platforms, violence is being promoted and glorified,” says Professor Shanker Dutt, former Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Academy, one of the participant organisers.

“Something is wrong when every violent incident that occurs in India has become an opportunity for political name-calling, character assassination, whipping up of sectarian sentiments by media channels that have become trolling agents for vested interests ,” said Newsnet One editor and Media Training consultant Frank Krishner, “and we hope that this event will be the start of a saner discourse.

“Voices”  is a way of raising issues by asking questions, says Richa, a lecturer in the Department of English at Patna Women’s College. “People who will stand with us today will be from all walks of life, and with different ideologies. But the common intent will be to ask ourselves searching questions, and perhaps in the light of these questions we will find a way forward .”

Our question is:  why aren’t the children safe? In the schools,  the hospitals,  the streets or even in their homes? For the safety of our children are our institutions, whether governmental or private, taking the right steps? Is Child Protection really a priority in our society, in our homes? Our questions are not just for the institutions, they are for all of us, says Prabhat Jha,  in the event write-up.

“I do not call myself a secular person. I think I am a deeply religious person, and my faith tells me that it is grossly evil to scandalize children. I will take a stand because I feel it is my moral duty to strongly denounce violence of any kind, and specially violence against kids,” says Ashrita Kandulna, who teaches in the Communicative English Department of Patna Women’s College.

“Let us not use children’s misfortune to play dirty politics in the media,” says Deedar, an undergraduate in the Mass Communication Department of St Xavier’s College. In fact, several students from various colleges are actively involved in the campaign against violence. Only recently, St Xavier’s College has started a ‘Tyagarchana’ campaign on its campus, where students involve themselves to make India a better place for children in various ways.

The event will have poetry reading, interactions, and singing, it is learnt.

  child rights, children