Kalimpong,3rd Oct           

Bal Suraksha Abhiyan Trust (BSA), an organisation run by Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, Kalimpong took the first initiative to form a Vigilance Committee as well as Children’s Committee at Pedong Gram Panchayat. This is part of the new intervention of BSA to create zero tolerance atmospheres towards child labour, focusing on two key areas - Community Mobilization and Advocacy.

This Lighthouse Project which will be supported by Caritas India has been titled “Moving Towards a Child Labour Free Society” will be implemented by two major NGOs – BSA and Anugyalaya in Kalimpong sub division of Darjeeling District with major focus on Pedong & Ahalay Gram Panchayats , Gorubathan respectively, which are major source/destination for child labour. The project will follow the strategy of Child centric approach – Full cycle of child Protection (Awareness, Prevention, Rescue, Rehabilitation, Repatriation, Child Rights, and Legal Aspects).

BSA will form Vigilance Committee as well as Children’s Club in each Sansads under Pedong Gram Panchayat. The main objective of forming Vigilance Committee is that it will serve as the eyes and ears of the Implementing Organization during and after the tenure of the project in the target villages as well as the surrounding areas for better reach to ensure that the rights of the children are not violated. Due to the enhancement of the capacity of the Vigilance Committee on a larger perspective, the Committee will own up the program to ensure the right of every child in the community which will hence lead to the attainment of the objectives of the program and the holistic development of each child in the village. The community as a whole under the supervision and guidance of the Vigilance Committee will have an improved and self managed mechanism to ensure child rights and to completely abolish child labour. There will be around 6 – 10 members with representatives from the community itself.

Whereas, Children’s Club will be a forum for children where they can express their opinions about any issues or concerns related to child rights and collectively try to find problems to their solutions. It aims at operationalizing the child’s right to participation. By involving children in such clubs it will help to build potential leader cadres who can take responsibility of looking after their villages.

On 29th September 2013, BSA met with children from the community at Grace School & Kid’s Castle, Pedong and formed two Children’s Club in that areas.

On 2nd October 2013, BSA formed Vigilance Committees with 5 Sansads under Pedong GP. The programme was held at the Community Hall, Pedong. Mr. Dawa Lepcha, Sabhasad from No. 40 Constituency was also present in this programme. He even suggested that beside Village/Sansad wise Vigilance Committees, a Monitoring Body can be formed at the G.P. level. Names of the selected members of this G.P. Monitoring Body is as follows: Mr. Dawa Lepcha (Sabhasad from No. 40 Constituency), Mr. Padam Gurung (Retired Assistant Headmaster of St. George High’s School), Mr. Bhakta Rai (SHG Resource person), Mr. Amrit Rai (GJM Student Forum President, Pedong), Mr. Thendup T. Bhutia (Assistant Labour Commissioner), Mr. P. B. Rai (Retired Army), Mr. Basant Kanu (Pedong Business Organisation), Mr. P.S. Tamang (Retired Army) and Mr. S.T. Lama (President of Retired Army Association). On the same day, another children’s club was formed at Upper Dalep. Accordingly, in the following week vigilance committees and children’s club will be formed in the rest of the sansads.