Kailash Satyarthi - Marches and Collaborative Demonstrations

Marches and Collaborative Demonstrations

Satyarthi promotes the approach of walks and marches used by saints and monks in ancient times for mutual learning and spreading of human values. Over the years, he has organized dozens of Yatras (marches) to mobilize the masses, bring media attention, and generate political debate on the issue of child labor. Satyarthi does not believe in combating child labor through an elite, bureaucratic, academic, intellectual or narrow project-based approach. In the course of his crusade, Satyarthi also realized that the battle for child labor eradication cannot be fought by the strength of NGOs alone. Involvement of influential segments of society like religious leaders, politicians, trade unions, lawyers and other intellectual groups is a must. The most significant component of all of Satyarthi's marches is that child laborers, freed bonded children, and their parents have been among the key participants and leaders. A few of these include:

• Bihar to Delhi March traveled 2000 km from the heart of the carpet industry employing child labor in Nagar Utari (Bihar) to Delhi in 1992
• Bharat Yatra Against Child Labor covered over 5000 km from Kanyakumari to Delhi in 1994
• South Asian Child Workers' Freedom March traveled 1500 km from Calcutta to Kathmandu in 1996
• Global March Against Child Labor across the world in 103 countries traveled over 80,000 km in 1998
• Shiksha Yatra was a nationwide march on education covering 15,000 km across the length and breadth of the country in 2001
• South Asian March Against Child Trafficking was a march along the Indo Nepal Bangla border spanning 2,500 km and 20–25 days in 2007.
• Nepal March for Education in 2009 traversing 1500 km criss-crossing in Nepal.
• March Against Child Labour and Trafficking in December 2012 from Guwahati to Dhubri in Assam. This was the first of its kind march to be flagged off by Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir. This march marked the first leg of the larger Campaign Against Child Labour and Trafficking that will touch each and every corner of Assam till Mid January 2013. Notably Assam over the years has emerged to be one of the biggest source, transit and destination areas of child trafficking. Children are trafficked from North East for forced labourers as domestic helps, in dark and dingy garment sweat shops, as child prostitutes and child brides among several other set ups that result into their physical, mental and sexual exploitation.