In a new initiative, over a thousand children in Varanasi have decided to form a parliament of their own and take up issues concerning them.
The Parliament will provide a platform for issues concerning children, incl-uding parenting, school syllabus and teenage problems. Vishal Bharat Sansthan, the NGO that engendered the initiative, feels that the Parliament would also train children to become good and disciplined politicians.
Rajiv Srivastava, president, Vishal Bharat Sansthan, says, “In India, there are colleges for each and every subject, but there is no school for people who wish to become a politician. The children parliament will function as a school to nurture good politicians, because there is dearth of good politicians in India.”
According to him, the children will also take up issues like education, poverty and hunger in their election manifestos and will also contest elections. In fact, nominations for elections have begun this week.
The Electoral College, in the beginning, will comprise all school-going children and slum children will be inducted later.
The children will divide themselves into three parties — Bal Vikas Party, Bal Janata Party and the Bharatiya Bachcha Party.
The parties will adhere to all the rules that are followed during the national elections and the model code of conduct will be strictly enforced.
“We are not making this compulsory and children whose parents have no objection can join the initiative,’ says Srivastava.
Aafreen, a Bal Janata Party candidate, told local reporters that if she won the elections, she would try to solve the problems of children and will ensure that those children, who are not able to get admission, are also sent to school.
Interestingly, “Indepe-ndent” candidates are also being allowed to file their nominations and three polling booths will be set up for the elections.