By TwoCircles.net reporter,
Patna: As India celebrated the birth anniversary of India’s first prime minister chacha Nehru as Children’s Day on 15th November and plenty of programs and functions were organized in different part of the country, going on the same track, Media Nest a Lucknow based pan –India forum of media professions has celebrated first anniversary of ‘Media for Children’ on the very day at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club, Lucknow.
Notably, the forum has been organizing this bi-monthly event at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club with the support of UNICEF since November 2008 to discus issues related to children.
Media for Children attempts to sensitize journalists and focus their attention on what can be termed as media movement for children.
Speaking on the occasion Ms Kulsum Talha, secretary general of Media Nest said: “We have through this media event attempted to ensure that the children of Uttar Pradesh, especially those from the under-privileged section of society get a voice, their demands are heard and their pain are shared.”
On this special occasion all members of Media Nest were invited along with those NGOs and individuals who are working for children, to come together and jointly herald in Children’s Day in the true spirit of celebration.
The program began with a presentation by Sahnyog, an NGO working for women health and gender equality. The NGO released ‘youth policy’ on the eve of Children’s Day. The chief spokesperson was Professor Roop Rekha Verma who said that youth can work better if he\she gets ‘freedom from economic worries.
Acknowledging that media has a big role to play in the development of children. Mr. Jacob said that an ‘insensitive society’ is the bane of child rights. “We see children being exploited, begging and ill-treated and we do nothing about it. This attitude must change if any development has to take place” he added.
Mr. Naveen Joshi while highlighting the responsibility of the media towards children mentioned ‘market forces’ which often come in the way. However he said these can be overcome with determination and will.
But it was the grey-haired, partially affected by paralyzes K K Nayyar who moved the audience. The man who rose to become the director general of AIR, Lucknow, narrated historical facts about legendary men who are now part of history.
He also told the story that how he had been fortunate to meet Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru not once but twice at public rallies. The second time he got closer for taking his autograph. But he had no paper or notepad so he simply extended a ten rupee note towards Paditji. Panditji looked up, took the note and put it in the donation box. He then asked him for another note, signed and returned to him with a smile.
The program was participated by Many prominent personalities including UNICEF chief of filed staff, Uttar Pradesh, Ms Adele Khudr, UNICEF communication specialist, Mr. Augustine Veliath, former BBC broadcaster, Mr. Satish Jacob, Farzand Ahmad, India Today, senior editor Hindustan, Naveen Joshi, and Mr. Pushpendra Kulshreta, secretary general, Press Club of India, New Delhi.
Earlier 23 sessions had been held under the banner of Media for Children in which attempts were made to focus media attentions on AIDS-affected Children, on sanitation affecting the life of children in Uttar Pradesh, on the condition of Minority children and their battle to get equal rights and ‘full citizenships, UP’s missing children, the situation of justice in women’s courts, etc.