Scores of school children formed a 22-kilometer-long human chain in Birgunj, Nepal on Monday to reiterate their demand for the protection of Terai and Madhesi rights and inclusion of these rights in the new Constitution of Nepal.
This was the second protest of a similar nature to take place in the last three days. An earlier protest had taken place on November 27 for violation of rights because of the ongoing Terai and Madhes agitation and blockade of trucks and other vehicles coming from India with essential items.
Monday's agitation began at 9 a.m. and concluded at 11 a.m. The centre of the agitation was at the Birgunj Ghantaghar (Clock Tower)
On Friday, the Private and Boarding Schools' Organisation Nepal (PABSON), the National Private and Boarding Schools' Organisation Nepal (NPABSON) and student unions organised the human chain programme along the 27-kilometre-long Ring Road.
Currently, around 7.1 million children are directly or indirectly affected by the current impasse in Nepal.
The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) and Central Children Welfare Board (CCWB) yesterday released a statement expressing deep concerns over the use of children above class eight in the human chain.
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Both institutions strongly expressed that the programme's intention to raise issues of violation of child rights at the national and international levels can be achieved even without children's participation, hence, urged the stakeholders not to use children in any manner in their actions.
Every child has a right to express their opinion and it needs to be appreciated, however, steps that affect their right to read in a peaceful environment are condemnable, they added in the joint statement.