From:  Sumathi V Iyengar <[20]sumathivinay@y...>
   Date:  Tue Nov 20, 2001  4:50 am
   Subject:  Minutes of meeting held on 11/17/2001

   
   Minutes of Meeting held on 11/17/2001
   Attendees : Padmaja and Ravi Durvasula, Sadhana Gupta,
   Sudhakar Govindavajhala, M.V. Ramana, Pranshu B.
   Saxena, Sumathi and Vinay Iyengar, Kumar Ramaswamy,
   Amrish Garg, Rohini Gupta, Anirban Hazra.
   1. We reviewed the opposition raised by NAFRE to the
   contents of the Amendment that makes Education a
   Fundamental Right to children aged 6 -14 years. The
   NAFRE statement is as below :
   Minutes of Meeting held on 11/17/2001
   Attendees : Padmaja and Ravi Durvasula, Sadhana Gupta,
   Sudhakar Govindavajhala, M.V. Ramana, Pranshu B.
   Saxena, Sumathi and Vinay Iyengar, Kumar Ramaswamy,
   Amrish Garg, Rohini Gupta, Anirban Hazra.
   1. We reviewed the opposition raised by NAFRE to the
   contents of the Amendment that makes Education a
   Fundamental Right to children aged 6 -14 years. The
   NAFRE statement is can be found at the link :
   [21]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asha-upe/files/93rdAmendment/
   It was observed that the ammendment should be a
   "supply side ammendment". It was noted that an
   implication if the ammendment was approved would be
   to have a basis to demand education from the State. It
   was also brought to notice that education should be
   made a Fundamental Right not only for children aged 6
   to 14, but also to adults! There was also the question
   raised about why this ammendment should be passed,
   while there was already the 1993 Unnikrishnan
   judgement by the Supreme Court of India that gave
   children upto age 14, the fundamental right to
   education. It was reasoned out that it was easier to
   overturn a judgement than to anull a bill.
   In the vote taken, 8 supported the NAFRE statement and
   4 abstained from voting.
   Hence Asha Princeton endorsed the NAFRE statement.
   2. The film "IndeBalya" (meaning "today is
   childhood") showed children working in the silk
   factories in Ramnagaram and other districts around
   Bangalore and Mysore in Karnataka. Their hands were
   burnt as they were often dipped in very hot water. The
   factories were clostrophobic. The noise inside was
   deafening.. and the children were subjected to it all
   day long.
   The social workers there say that this is a deep
   trenched social problem. Parents are in extremely poor
   conditions, themselves working in these ill-equipped
   silk factories. They take loans from factory owners
   many-a-times to fulfill social commitments. As a
   security for the sum borrowed, they promise their
   child's labour, till the time the loan is repaid. The
   loan rarely gets repaid. The children who work in the
   factory, do not get an opportunity to go to school or
   choose their life's path. They grow up and as adults,
   continue to work in the factory. They make their own
   families and the viscious circle continues. There are
   several health hazards caused due to this.
   Occupational asthma, poor development of bones and
   muscles amoung children, hearing loss and sometimes
   injury due to the heavy machines are among a few.
   Social workers point out that this problem can only be
   solved if its tackled as a social problem and the
   society works together to erradicate it.
   Thanks,
   Sumathi