By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In order to pressurize the Union Finance Minister to release 9 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to be committed to health and education, around 18 children from Meghalaya will join the others from the rest of the country to New Delhi as part of the country wide awareness and sensitizing campaign on disabilities, ‘Badhte Kadam III’ 2011.
Addressing the press conference in Shillong here on Saturday, Co-coordinator of Nineismine campaign Brother Steve said Nineismine campaign is a participatory children’s advocacy initiative to call for 9 percent of the GDP, wherein 3 percent will be committed to health and 6 percent to education as promised in the Common Minimum Programme in 2004. The ‘Badhte Kadam III’ is an awareness raising discoverability campaign which was flagged off on November 3 from Shillong and will culminate on December 2 at Shillong was organised with an objective to remind the central government of the Nineismine campaign.
It may be mentioned that the Nineismine campaign is the initiative of children, schools, communities and organisations across the country to hold the government accountable to its promise to end poverty.
The ‘Badhte Kadam III’ 2011 also aimed at providing information to UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) at all awareness raising activities at the same time the RTE for all of them. “It is sad to know that a poor country like Bangladesh gives 2.20 percent for health whereas India gives only 1.10 percent for health, rued Brother Steve.
700 children from all over the state particularly Shillong will participate in the rally on November 8 at Laitumkhrah as part of ‘Badhte Kadam III’ 2011 and among them only 18 children and 12 adults will move to New Delhi along with the other children from Assam, West Bengal, South India and others to apprised the government of their rights.