Ms. Brinda Karat, Rajya Sabha

 

"The word right is important when we discuss children. Children’s rights is not charity. But when we talk of children as a national asset we see three systemic barriers linked to caste gender and economic deprivation and inequaity. Why is there such a huge disparity among our children in this country? The development policy framework that we have itself leads to inequality. How can we think of our children as a national asset if we believe that some children within our society are polluted and not allowed to even drink from the same tap, when are girls are not even allowed to be born, and in the current framework of inequitable distribution of resources?"
 
"I am for a complete ban on child labour. But at the same time we need to ask what makes parents send their children to work and employers and industries to make them work in this shocking manner? All children have right to education unequal access because of their gender, caste and unequal distribution of resources."