January 28, 2013 - Around 10,000 Indian children plan to take part in a public march
to claim their fundamental rights, including the right to education and health. The
event, titled Public Day March, is being organized on Feb. 2 in New Delhi by NINE
IS MINE, an organization with initiative of the children, by the children and for
the realization of their fundamental rights. The march is the culmination of a series
of programmes from Jan. 30- Feb. 1, demanding quality education and health. The participants
of the march are from urban poor section, denotified tribes, conflict situations,
minority communities across India. Children from Delhi schools are also expected to
take part in the march. The NINE IS MINE campaign, which is part of the bigger
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA- meaning, ‘Don’t break the promise campaign’), was launched
in 2006 after the government “reneged” on its election pledge. The campaign provides
children with democratic platforms to voice their opinions and perspectives toward
influencing policies and decisions that affect them. The WNTA is a national coalition
of over 900 civil society organizations which attempts to hold the government accountable
to its promise to end poverty, social exclusion and discrimination toward meeting
the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).