Witnessing that there was no school in the village, the Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s (BBA) BMG committee held a meeting on 23 October 2007. Mr. Alaudin who is also the secretary of the committee chaired the meeting. The meeting was well attended by the committee members and villagers. The top agenda of the meeting was to discuss about the construction of the school for the children, as there is no school for the village since independance. The children of the Murlibharna village go to adjacent village to attend the school. Therefore, everybody was in a consensus and felt dire need to construct the school. However, the problem is that they are hand to mouth and struggling daily to sustain their lives. But on the other hand, they also understand the importance of education and are concerned to educate their children. It is because of the awareness raised after the inception of the child-friendly-programme in the Murlibharna village.  

When the BBA started their work education was last one there priority list. Nevertheless, in spite of all the constraints the question arises about how to generate the support to construct the school? Everybody was struck, got confused and no clue how to mobilize the support? However, everybody was of the opinion that they must and should have the school for the children. Answer lies in their determination to have school for their children in the village. BBA activist intervened and ask about the land where school could be constructed. Mr. Alaudin the BMG secretary informed the floor that he had already donated the land worth of rupees two lakh to the government to construct the school. However, the administrative process was taking it own course to get it register. It was time taking and lengthy. But it was also frustrating the concerned people to construct the school. We cannot wait more to act the government in a tortoise walk.  

Therefore; to begin with, the community identified the land for the School. A 60 years aged men Md. Salamat was so charged that he set the deadline to construct the school by 2nd November 2007. He said that he could do bamboo work and was good in constructing. He also said that he will contribute day and night to complete the work of the construction of the school, deadline set up by him. Seeing the passion of aged old man and will to contribute in the school-inspired villagers and volunteers themselves to extend helping hand and come forward to see that the school gets it complete in time. So the youth and the villagers shoulder the cost of the labor by volunteering themselves. The educated youth Uday kumar Kamat, Sunil Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Dhirender Kumar, Gaffar Alam and Ranjit came forward to act as a teacher in the school. The villages tutor Mr. Ranjit who was taking per child 100 rupees to provide tuition told in the meeting that from today onward he would not take single penny from the children. He was taking tuition fee from almost 30 students in the school and managed to earn approximately three thousand rupees. 

Next day the committee members and the youth gathered at 6 o'clock in the morning to do the cleaning of the land where school can be constructed. But they were surprised and also very happy to see that women also have reached to volunteer to extend helping hand to the committee members and the youth in cleaning the land. On the first day the villagers taken out left bamboo root which is very laborious and tiring work. But still they were looking very energetic and lively. When they finished the work they called the meeting of the committee member after having dinner at 9 O Clock. The meeting continued till 11o'clock.The agenda of the meeting was to mobilize the bamboo for the construction of the school. The floor reached to the conclusion that approximately 350 bamboos are required to construct the school. It is not possible for one or few men to give the bamboo. So after the lengthy discussion people have decided to donate the bamboo according to their capacity. Next day again whole of the village got engaged in extending helping hands in construction of the school. 

Md. Salamat, aged 60, putt tireless effort to do the bamboo work. He was the first man to reach the school and last to go after do the constructing school. When the bamboo work was over they constructed the road and also volunteered to make the playground in the front of the school. When the bamboo work was over they discussed in the committee meeting to put roof on the school. They decided to put tent on it but for this they required money. At mean time the committee member decided to generate the fund from their own pocket and written letters for the fund from the other sources also. By 2nd of November the school got constructed by the effort of the community. 

Few Comments
Mr.Arjun, president of the BMG committee said that, the construction of the community school in the village also builds up the sense of confidence and morale to monitor the neighboring school where majority of the children of the BMG Murlibharna attends. The committee members went to the school and marked absent in the teacher attendance register. The teacher who came late apologied before the committee members and promised to come on time in the future. 
       
He also said that due to poverty and financial constraint of the families, children were forced to discontinue their studies in between it will not happen in the future. The BMG committee member has pledged to shoulder the burden of the education and extend all support to the underprivileged children. He confidently said that we will wipe out illiteracy (Angutha ka Namonishan mita donga) from the BMG village. 

Alaudin, secretary of the BMG committee said that this during the construction of the school by the community has bridged the gap between the Hindu and the Muslim and strengthen then unity in the village. 
We have witnessed love, affection, cooperation, and cohesiveness during the construction of the school. 

Villagers and the youth said that Md. Salamat, at the age of 60 years, was the first person to reach on the site of construction of the school and last person to go. He not only constructed the school but also gathered the children to prepare them to send to the school.  His dedication and commitment will always live long in our memories. He is the mentor for the villagers and his work will always inspire and motivate the villagers .With due respect, love and affection the children has started calling him chacha Nehru of the village.   

Chandan Kumar head of the elected children representative said that", Though the community has mobilized the fund of their own and constructed the school in the village, we will still continue to strengthen our struggle at different level and raise the demand to construct the formal Government school immediately in the village and depute the teacher.  

Labor Superintendent of the Saharsa, Supal, and Madhepura Mr. Satyanarayan (I am not sure about his name but please confirm it with the Mr. Jitender before it will go for printing) visited the site of the constructed school by the effort of the community and said that I am very much impressed and moved by the effort of the community and the concept of the Child-Friendly-Village. I am finding sea change in the attitude of the community visiting after one year in the villagers towards education and assured them all kind support in the future from his parts.

8 YR OLD SARITA HELD CAPTIVE FOR  2 YRS  FOR   RS. 800

Hazaribag (Jharkhand): Imagine being held captive for  two years against   your will  , left as mortgage  by  your own father , given to   a stranger for  working 24 hours  a day ,only for Rs 800  which   when paid will  mean freedom ….being beaten up so much that you turn deaf …..that's  exactly what happened to   Sarita, an 8 yr old child  who's father, a rickshaw puller , had borrowed  Rs 800 from a hotel owner named   Shailendra Singh , who owned and ran the Amrita Girl's Hostel near the New Saint Columba's University .Due to  his alcohol addiction , Sarita's father was unable to   return the money to  him and thus he left  his daughter Sarita as mortgage , to  work    for the  owner in the Hostel .

Her misfortune was not just being made to work all day long   , she was beaten up on a daily basis by the owner and his family, one day the owner beat her so much that   she lost hearing ability from one ear!

Sarita's ordeal ended when a team of BBA activists rescued her from the Hostel building on the night of 5th May 2006. after an extensive search through the whole building  and all the rooms , the activists found her locked up in the garage of the Hostel   which was forcibly made to open after the activists heard the some noise coming from inside . When the door was opened, little Sarita   ran to hug the activists and could not stop her tears of happiness as she narrated her ordeal terrified. The walls around this building were more than 7 feet high, the neighbouring residents were shocked that so much was happening inside this   building and they were not aware of it. She told the activists that whenever her father came for her, he was turned away   by being reminded of Rs.800 which he could not collect and thus two years of captivity passed like this for her. Four days before the rescue, her mother and grandmother were thrown out of the Hostel as they tried to take her away from here.

The girls in the hostel said that Sarita despite her tough life used to find  a few   moments of happiness with the girls , often dancing for them …… the little child had nothing but work to do and thus whenever  she was found interacting with the girls , she was beaten up by the owner and his wife.

 The information of captive Sarita was given by BBA activist, Mr Muktarul Haq, after which, a team consisting of the BBA activists and   Mahila  Thana Incharge , Ms Kusum Pathak  along with heavy Police force   raided the hostel for her rescue .

The activist said in a press conference after Sarita's release, that she is not alone with her case, two more girls have also been sent to work for   different families as domestic child labourers due to the financial crisis of the parents. The search is now on to find these girls who are infact   Sarita's cousin sisters.

After this incident and many more, Jharkhand has emerged as a big child market   in India where children are being bought and sold. Anita (Ranchi), another child labourer rescued from Delhi says that 7 to 8 yrs old girls are taken from Jharkhand for dometsic labour   and are sold by the time they are 13 yr old, in the flesh market.

Also, Jharkhand has left behind even Bengal in its increasing number of cases of fake marriages. Here, girls are taken to U.P, Punjab and Haryana in the name of marriage where they are further exploited.

Trafficked children from Bihar rescued in Punjab

Bachpan Bachao Andolan( BBA) activists liberated seven trafficked bonded child labourers from Amritsar (Punjab). These seven children were trafficked from Saharsa in Bihar to Amritsar in Punjab, 1500km away from their native villages. These children, some as young as nine years were forced to work more than fourteen hours a day as domestic slaves and agricultural labourers. Four of them were rescued on 10 April while three children were rescued on 30 th March 2006.

The children had been taken by a  dalal(Middle man)   named  Ram Chandra Soda  3 yrs back on the 10th of June  2003   who had given Rs.500 to the mothers of these children and had taken these children on the pretext of providing them with some  kind of  vocational training that he would also take care of  their  education  . One and a half months   later when he returned to the village,  the parents wanted to know the whereabouts of the children in Seharsa to which he replied that  the children have been sent to  Punjab and that they would be getting Rs.12000  at the end of the year  (Rs. 100 per month) .He guaranteed the children would be safe and they need not worry  about  them  .  

RESCUED  CHILDREN FROM BIHAR SPEAK PUNJABI NOW When rescued ,the children related their  sufferings not in their own  language which is Maithili but instead they now speak in Punjabi, such has been the impact of the captivity and seperation from their own roots, family, people  they knew and people who loved them……not just that ,it has been  a seperation from childhood itself .For 3 years, these children lived as slaves working for more than fourteen hours everyday only for  two meals a day ,without being paid and  held captive against their will …..

Angry parents said they want the children not the money, Ramchandra then requested them to let them stay on for 6 months.   For another 2 and a half years the children did not return nor was Ramchandra seen in the village again. Meanwhile it was the limit of patience and mental   agony for the parents who were waiting for their children. One of the mother's of the children died unable to bear the separation from her   child,  the parents fed up  with  no news of their children  then  approached BBA 's office in Sehersa following which , the activists  along with the parents headed for Punjab . After a period of some serious efforts, it   was found that a person named Dilbagh Singh   alias Baghi Singh was forcibly making the children work.
                       
When asked about the children , he initially refused that   he had any  children but later  started to  abuse the activists and said that he   has  employed  some  40 children and  declared that he will not leave   them at any  cost .

BBA activists along with the parents filed an FIR in the Police station of Seharsah ( Bihar) against Ramchandar Sada, the middleman and the employer Dil Bagh Singh. A team of BBA activists along with the parents of these children and local administration raided the house of employer Dilbagh Sigh alias Baghi Singh in Amritsar.The police later arrested Ramchandra Sada   though   Dilbagh  Singh   is still absconding .

The children who were rescued are Suraj Sada (12), Lalkund Sada (15), Mantun Sada (10), Satto Sada (12) were liberated on 10 April 2006, while Jatindar Sada (16), Subhash Sada (13) and Jaikishan Sada (9) on 30 March 2006. BBA activists complained against the lackadaisical attitude of the administration and pressurized the authorities to file a case under Section 363, 371 and 374 of IPC and a criminal case under Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976 against the alleged accused.

The children mentioned that some of them had been sold more than  four years ago for a meager amount. The children rescued from bondage said that they had to work for more than   fourteen hours for two square meals a day. Their everyday work routine includes feeding and care taking of more than forty cattle, domestic work and providing water to the fields. They were never given any money. Whenever they requested for the money or to go back to the home, the employer would beat them badly and told them that they are now his slaves.

BBA Bihar unit reported that landlords in Punjab are allegedly 'purchasing' children from Bihar to till their fields and do other menial jobs at their houses and fields.

As part of BBA's comprehensive strategy for rehabilitation, the released boys will undergo psycho-social rehabilitation at BBA transit rehabilitation centers and finally will be reintegrated into their own communities. Meanwhile, BBA has filed a case to get the wages, statutory rehabilitation under various government schemes and other benefits of these children.

The president of BBA Mr. Kailash Satyarthi has said that the Bihar Government not only needs to take steps towards the rehabilitation of the rescued children  but also needs to take special steps to  increase the income of   these children's parents in the  areas and districts affected by child labour. In these areas, the Dalals(middle men) need to be targeted .

BBA   activists are actively working against child labour in  Punjab and Bihar, efforts are also on to  put   a stop to  child labour  through the Human Rights commission.

A letter has also been written in this regard to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amrendra Singh.

NON -SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN LINKED TO   'BACHPAN SHAALA'

Bachpan Bachao Andolan along with Canara Bank organised  an event 'Siksha-Diksha '   specially for the non school going children. During the programme study material and quilts were distributed to these children. Child labourers from the  brick kilns, ragpickers and the slums and the domestic  child labourers were pulled out of these areas  and efforts were made to put them into 'Bachpan Shaala'. Here the children from the age group one to five   are provided primary  education and then put into mainstream , government schools.

Inaugurating this programme, the PHED Minister, Mr. Prem Kumar distributed the study material along with tiffin boxes and water bottles to about 200 children and gave away quilts to their mothers. Mr. Kumar said that It is a very unfortunate matter that lakhs of children are still forced to work as Bonded Labourers and are denied education. He said that the State government pledges to work towards improving education at every level for these children. He praised and promised to support BBA activities and programmes in the state.

On this occasion, he also released the magazine 'Jeevanank Darpan ' published by the UNICEF and Bachao Bachao Andolan jointly.

On this occasion , Mr.  Venu Gopal Verma ,Assistant General Manager, Canara Bank, Ajay Singh, Senior activist , BBA, Sri Jaiprakash   Singh, senior BJP leader and BBA activists were also present.

Child Rights Rally taken out by School Children

School children in Saharsa district of Bihar led a rally on 18 th February 2006 to demand their right to free and quality education. Girls and boys carrying their demands on placards marched in the centre of the city and then had a sit-in demonstration before the Collectariate. Hundreds of children from the villages of Kahara block of the district including Dholi, Dighiya, Parminia, Guruhoghat and Dhakjari inspired many people to join them and chanted slogans in support of their demands. At the end of their demonstration children presented their 10-point memorandum to the District Magistrate. The memorandum had the following demands by the children: