In this world full of selfish people, we hardly take out time to think about anyone else after satisfying our ever-increasing needs. However, amidst all the negativity, there are people like Anju Verma, who are trying to make this world a better place to live in.
In a bid to eliminate child labor from the country, the 16-year-old girl from Haryana formed the organisation ‘Buland Udaan’ six years ago. Since then, she has solved a whopping 965 child atrocity cases, pulled 696 students out of child labor and enrolled them in schools. Apart from these, Anju has stalled 15 child marriages and prevented 10 sexual harassment cases.
While Anju is slowly but steadily marching towards her dream of seeing a “Child-Labour Free India”, she used a brilliant idea to convince underprivileged families to send their children to school. When the young girl saw how the kids in these families were taken to field work by their parents, she started approaching them directly. In order to instill fear in their hearts, she said,
“I can’t file a case against you as no one will listen to me but the government team roams in civil uniforms and if they sniff the crime, then just pay them 50,000 and at the most get 6 months imprisonment. That’s all. Nothing more!”
And walked off soon after. The very next day, she got the news that the child has been sent to school.
The responsibility that her organisation, ‘Buland Udaan’ takes, goes far beyond just enrolling a child into the school. They call up the school periodically to take an update on how the child is doing academically. According to News18, Anju said that almost every student they have admitted has fetched 70 percent marks.
“So far almost every child we enrolled has obtained over 70 per cent.”
She even took the help of her village sarpanch to save and rescue her friends who were forced into domestic work instead of being allowed to study.
“Sarpanchji and I made a plan to ensure that while other parents receive appreciation for their kids’ good performance, these girls’ parents are embarrassed for killing their study time by making them do household choruses.”
Talking to factory and farm owners and making them understand how taking the help of child labor can subject them to criminalization and insult was also a part of Anju’s process.
“I got the names and the pledge of all the owners, agreeing to eradicate child labour, and painted them on the main lane’s wall. It still serves as a statutory indication for them now.”
According to the 16-year-old, child labor has been a popular practice because the parents weren’t aware of the fact that it is a crime and can lead to severe punishments. Having said that, Anju also mentioned that time has changed significantly and they have been successful in developing a progressive mindset among the villagers.
“In a region where girls were not allowed to wear anything except salwar suits, maintains no eye contact with even your own father or allowed to place no opinions at all, I decided to step out to battle against the child atrocities in my village.”
“We are getting so much support – from the family, locality, across the region. In our village, girls roam in the streets on their cycles. The elder siblings force and appease the younger ones to join school rather than doing waged errands.”
Anju, who believes that education is the only way in which a child can achieve his/her dreams, also had a message for the youth of the country.
“Greater the dream, greater the difficulties, greater the achievement.”
Take a bow, Anju Verma. Not all heroes wear capes and you are definitely one of them.