Safety begins at home: Kailash Satyarthi

New Delhi, Sept 7: In an interview with UNI, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi speaks extensively about his Bharat Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari against child sexual abuse. AD: Bharat Yatra is scheduled to be launched on September 11. Please brief us about this initiative of yours. KS: Bharat Yatra is not just a campaign; I call it war on rape, sexual abuse and trafficking. The growing menace of child sexual abuse and rape is not an ordinary crime. It has grown as a moral epidemic so fast that it has to be addressed on war footing. It cannot be stopped by running campaigns. So, we decided to bring together all sections of society, government, intelligence agencies, businessmen, faith leaders and primarily students and teachers and common man across the country. AD: What is the message that you want to give through this Padayatra? KS: The message is to break your (people’s) silence. India should not be driven by fear but by fearlessness and freedom. A new India cannot be built on the foundations of fear, which exist everywhere -- across the nation and across sections of society. Victims of sexual abuse, their parents, neighbours, friends, relatives and ordinary people are living in fear, whereas the rapist and abusers feel free to roam around. So this pendulum of the clock has to be changed. Fear should be in the minds of those who are committing crime and not those being victimised. The menace goes on because of social taboo and in most cases people do not report the crime. AD: Although the number of FIRs has increased by manifold, it is yet a fraction of the crime taking place. KS: Yes, it is quite less. In cases of sexual abuse, 70 per cent of the abusers are known to the child. They could be family members, neighbours, teachers, school bus drivers, peons and gardeners in schools. This is a very serious problem and is continuing. Millions of children must be facing this problem. It is almost like every second child is facing such issues but only 15,000 cases were registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, besides only 4 per cent conviction, 6 per cent acquittal and 90 per cent pendency, which is the national record. AD: Do not you think fast track courts would be of help in dealing with pending cases of such crime? KS: Firstly, reporting of such cases should be increased and that is only possible when we educate, sensitise and empower children and parents to speak out and break the silence. This is a fight against mindset, social taboos, age old norms of family honour and dignity of a child. It will not be possible without a huge mass movement like Bharat Yatra. Secondly, in some states, the condition is so pathetic that if no single incident of sexual abuse occurs from now onwards, it will still take up to 40 years for the disposal of pending cases. AD: What do you suggest? KS: In this situation, apart from awareness and consciousness rising, we are demanding to establish dedicated courts, at least in each district, to deal with all cases related to crime against children and particularly child sexual abuse. These courts should have specialised judges and speedy trial mechanism and be children friendly. Besides, victims and witnesses protection should be ascertained under the law. These measures have to be taken by the government and judiciary, apart from awareness building. AD: Why has such measures not been taken so far when child trafficking is a major issue in India? Is it one of the agendas of the Yatra? KS: We are demanding passage of a strong law to stop child trafficking. India does not have any law in this connection. Talk is on for quite sometime, but it is not a priority for any political party to push it further, neither for the government nor for the Opposition parties. It is lying somewhere as a draft bill. It has to be brought on table and passed as soon as possible because hundreds of children are trafficked everyday. AD: What is the response of BJP-led NDA Government on child trafficking and the Yatra? KS: I wrote to several ministers – home, woman and child development, social welfare – but the process­­ is quite complicated. So, I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and elaborated him. He has extended his support for the Yatra and will join us. Several chief ministers and Central ministers will also take part. We are also mobilising faith leaders, which is a unique move. AD: Why faith leaders? KS: The role of faith leaders will be very critical and crucial in this Yatra. AD: Can you name a few faith leaders? KS: I will not name them now but 27 representatives or faith leaders attended the round table which we organised against child sexual abuse and in support of Bharat Yatra. Organisations like Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be supporting the Yatra. AD: Do you think bringing faith leaders to the Yatra would help in changing the mindset of people at the grassroots level? KS: It could be the most powerful strategy. If the faith leaders speak out against the menace and say that they would expel rapist, children abusers from the religion or outcast them, it would make a huge impact on society. AD: What can be done by society and parents to ensure safety and security of children? KS: We have not created a child friendly environment in the family. Children do not feel comfortable to share in case they are molested, raped or abused. Even in case of rapes, when girls become pregnant and are about to deliver a child, they do not confide in their mothers. The old saying is "Charity begins at home”, the new saying should be safety begins at home. UNI