National Girl Child Day observed across Assam

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Along with the rest of the nation, the National Girl Child Day (NGCD), 2022 was observed in Lakhimpur by District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) on Monday in collaboration with Prayash, Purva Bharati Educational Trust and Nawa Bihan Samaj at Joyhing Tea Estate. NGCD aims to focus on the inequalities faced by girls, to promote the education, health & nutrition of the girl child and to spread awareness about the rights of a girl child. The main focus of the day is on changing society's attitude towards girls, decreasing female foeticide and creating awareness about the decreasing sex ratio. This year the event has been observed by highlighting a theme "Empowering girls for brighter future".

On this occasion, a public meeting was organized at the Joyhing Tea Estate playground in the presence of girl students from various schools and women of the tea estate area. Coordinator of Purva Bharati Educational Trust, Sangita Tete explained the objective of the programme which was hosted by student Anjali Karmakar. Anjali highlighted the problems faced by the girl students under the tea garden areas while pursuing education due to poor economic conditions of the families, lack of high schools and other higher academic institutions with adequate infrastructures in the tea garden areas.

Writer journalist Ranjit Kakati took part in the programme as the speaker who delivered an awareness lecture on girls' rights, the importance of girls' education in view of empowering them, child labourers and women trafficking. In this connection, he said that the government had yet to do a lot for empowering the tea tribes, to uplift their living standard and to secure the right to education of their girl children. He called upon the government to initiate effective steps for the same at the earliest. On the other hand, Sakhis from Sakhi One-Stop Centre, Geetanjali Saikia Dutta, Bijoya Lahon Neog highlighted how the Centre had been working for women empowerment and to resolve the women's problem. In this regard, they called upon the women and students to avail the benefits from the Centre's activities.

Secretary of DLSA, Lakhimpur, Bichitra Dutta attended the programme as guest of honour. She delivered a lecture on the legal remedies for sexual assault and abuses to the girls and women, child marriage, foeticide, domestic violence against women, women trafficking etc. She called upon the women community to raise their voices against all crimes against them and approach DLSA for any kind of justice and to secure their rights. She made informative reply to various queries of women in the interactive session.

On the other hand, more than 30,000 girls from 51 districts from the States of Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, have sent postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday demanding to ensure the Right to Education up to Class 12. This demand was raised in connection with the National Girl Child Day and International Day of Education. In this connection, Purva Bharati Educational Trust Coordinator informed that 'Champions for Girls Education', a network of organisations working closely with the Right to Education Forum and SCORE network (UP) supported the girls to share their demand for the Right to Education Act 2009 up to class 12. In the postcards with demand, the girls said, "If education is made free and compulsory up to 12th standard, many of us, who drop out for not being able to afford private school fees or unavailability of government school nearby beyond 8th standard, will be able to complete our schooling." Girls from 26 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 20 districts of Bihar, 5 districts of Assam have participated in the postcard campaign so far.

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: As part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', the NSS Cell of Dibrugarh University observed the National Girl Child Day 2022 on Monday. The day was observed online because of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.The programme was held with support from the Nazir Azmal Memorial College of Education, Hojai and Digboi College. The NSS Units of the colleges under the NSS Cell of Dibrugarh University took active part in the programme in which close to 150 girls were felicitated for their achievements in the fields of sports, art, culture, social work, etc. The programme was addressed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. L K Nath and the Registrar of Prof. Jiten Hazarika of Dibrugarh University (DU). Both of them appreciated the initiative of the NSS Cell to felicitate the girls and applauded the contribution of the girls. Dr Devid Kardong, Programme coordinator, NSS Cell, DU gave the welcome address while Dr. Himadri Barman, Assistant Programme gave the vote of thanks. The programme was hosted by Dr. Kishor Haloi, Programme Officer, NSS Unit II, Digboi College.

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