Vimukti Children Parliament voices their demands loud and clear to MLAs and MLCs at State level:
“Opportunities are like the ocean, have the joy of swimming in it and reach the shore of success”.

It is not every day that one gets to see Karnataka MLAs and MLCs Ministers answering a series of questions posed by none other than children. However, this is exactly what happened on November 23rd Friday, at Conference Hall No. 333, Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore, when the kimmane Rathnakara the Primary education Minister, Umashree the Women and child Development and along other ministers were grilled by around 60-odd-children from different parts of Karnataka, on various issues pertaining to child rights. Along with several members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and members of the legislative council (MLCs) participated in the discussion, where child representatives took the centre stage. Along with the MLAs Sri Manohar Maski, Sri Ne. La. Narendrababu, Sri Basavaraja Horatti, Sri. Viranna Mathikatte, Sri Mukhya Mantri Chandru, Sri Harris and other legislative assembly and legislative council members were also present. UNICEF Hyderabad representatives Dr. Prasun sena, Dr. Padmini Mr. Umesh Radhya, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), members of the NGOs and media were also present. The ministers’ and colleagues signed their commitment to the Child Rights Commitment poster and inaugurated the programme.

The event was part of the state-level Children's Parliament hosted at Vidhana Soudha for almost two hours—11.00 am to 1.00pm. The unique attempt to help children raise their issues directly in front of highest policy makers was a collective attempt by Karnataka State Legislators’ Forum for Child Rights, Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) and supported by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Hyderabad. For the second time in the state, ministers had held consultation with the children directly and listened to their problems in the Vidhana Soudha, the epicenter of power.

Be it the low-quality food supplied at anganwadi centres, or the discrimination faced by HIV-positive children, the young participants at the session minced no words in bringing forth issues related to school-going children across Karnataka. The other topics which figured during the interaction between the Ministers and the children included lack of infrastructural facilities in schools, lack of good quality teachers in schools, problems faced by disabled children, stray dog menace, poor health care facilities, education of migrated children, trafficking, female feticide, lack of transportation facilities and ban on liquor, to name a few.

If 14-year-old Shivanada gowda, a student of High School pothnal complained of the huge amount of corruption involved in the supply of food to anganwadi centres by highlighting the involvement of teachers in selling off food meant for children, then another teenager expressed his plight at being thrown out of his school, after he was found to be HIV positive.

The courage and conviction with which the children addressed questions to the Ministers left everyone baffled. Right from politicians, bureaucrats to activists, everyone present at the event praised the children for their in-depth knowledge of ground realities, and passion to solve their problems.

A patient Ministers, after listening to the children assured them that their issues would be addressed immediately. Ministers also asked the children to write to concern ministers to directly whenever they faced any kind of discrimination or violations of their rights.

As part of the Children's Parliament, young participants were provided a day-long time on 14th November to interact among themselves and priorities their issues to be discussed with the ministers. This coincided with Children’s Day celebration, observed across the country. Many of the children who participated in the state level children’s parliament felt that the momentum now created should not die down with this particular programme, rather the process of children’s representatives meeting the Chief Minister and other cabinet ministers with their demands should become a regular feature every year