KGBV pupils to campaign against atrocities

Ongole: The students from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in Prakasam district created a history of sorts on Saturday by establishing 37 Legal Literacy Clubs and promising to fight against atrocities on girls, women and elderly people.

The District Legal Services Authority, district education department, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, judicial officers and panel lawyers in the district created awareness on laws against child marriages, child trafficking, atrocities on girls and women, along with their fundamental rights, responsibilities and other important legal points to Class VIII, IX and X students in 37 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in the district for the last two weeks.

On Saturday, Collector Vadarevu Vinay Chand, Principal District and Sessions Judge MG Priyadarsini interacted with them through a video-conference and received answers to queries on various topics. The dignitaries witnessed around 1,500 girls from KGBVs from 37 Legal Literacy Clubs at the same time in the district, which announced as the first of its kind in the country. Vinay Chand said that it is a rare occasion that the legal, education officers and KGBV special officers join together and create legal awareness among students of Class 8, 9 and 10 in the schools. 

He appreciated the students for coming forward to help others in the legal aspects and directed the school officers to let the children know the daily happenings through news and explain them how police are controlling atrocities on children. He asked them to create confidence on legal and police departments in the children. He asked the students to call 100 or 1098 to report about child marriages and atrocities on children in their surroundings without fear.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Priyadarsini said that child marriages, atrocities on girls and child trafficking were crimes. She said that having legal awareness in early age is a wonderful opportunity and she asked them to continue it. She said that this is a first of its kind programme in the country. DLSA Secretary and Senior Civil Judge T Raja Venkatadri asked the students to know more about legal services. He appreciated the legal, educational and SSA officers for making the programme a grand success. SSA PO Venkateswara Rao, DEO Subbarao, judges, KGBV officials, MPDOs, tahsildars and MEOs participated in the programme.