Nine is mine' campaigners get a rousing reception in city

Mangalore, November 17: Nine children of 'Nine is mine' campaign traveling to New Delhi received a rousing reception when by the Kochuveli-Amristar train stopped at Mangalore Railway Station on Wednesday.

As soon as the train pulled into the station at 8:30 pm, students from Roshini Nilaya School of Social Work, members from Child Welfare Committee, Child Labour Department began shouting slogans urging the centre to stick to its promise on allocating nine per cent of GDP for education and health.

Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairperson Asha Nayak was also present at the station to greet the students.

Nine children accompanied by five staffers from Don Bosco National Forum were felicitated on the platform.

The spokesperson of 'Nine is mine' national campaign, Joseph Thomas, said that the train yatra is the fourth phase of a campaign launched to make sure the centre keeps to its promise.

Prior to this about four lakh signatures were collected by the Don Bosco National Forum for the young at risk (YAR forum) on November 13, 2006.

This was in the backdrop of the government going back on its promise to allocate six per cent of GDP for education and three per cent of GDP on health. In the second phase, public views were elicited through surveys and a cycle yatra from Chandigarh to New Delhi marked the third phase.

The fourth phase included nine children traveling from Shillong, Cape Comorin, Kashmir, Trivandrum to reach New Delhi on November 20.

Those involved in the campaign included Daniel, Sriram, Veeru from Tamil Nadu, Vikas,Kiran, Ajith from Kerala and Sangamesh ,Abhisurya from Karnataka .

WC Chairperson Asha Nayak expressed happiness about children taking part in this awareness campaign.

School of social Work Roshini Nilaya principal Sophia Fernandes also spoke. The presence of nine children from CARDTS provided support to HIV positive children. The children sang 'Hum Honge Kamiyab yek din'.