Satyarthi’s Kanyakumari-Delhi march against child abuse next month

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Tuesday said he will commence a "Bharat Yatra" from Kanyakumari to Delhi on September 11 to spread awareness about child sexual abuse and child trafficking.

Speaking at a pre-Yatra event here, Satyarthi said he was hopeful of making around one crore people take a pledge to fight against the menace during his campaign.

The Bharat Yatra is scheduled to begin from Kanyakumari on September 11 and will culminate on October 15 in Delhi.

Apart from this, there will also be six separate Yatras from other parts of the country that will culminate in Delhi on October 15.

"If people become aware about this (child sexual abuse and child trafficking) and start raising their voice, then no one would be able to ignore this."

With the motto of "Safe Childhood, Safe Bharat", the Yatra would traverse 11,000 km through 22 states, he said.

"Today, I declare a war on child sexual abuse and trafficking. I refuse to accept that the innocence, smiles and freedom of our children can keep getting stripped and raped. These are not ordinary crimes. This is a moral epidemic haunting our nation," he said.

Satyarthi said groups would be formed in schools and colleges during the course of the Yatra, who would keep fighting against child trafficking and sexual abuse.

The start of Bharat Yatra will mark the launch of a three-year campaign against child sexual abuse.

Satyarthi said people were silent and that was the root of the problem. "Don't be silent, come out and talk, so that our children are be safe."

The Nobel laureate said they would engage with police to bridge gaps in reporting of child-related cases and their investigation.

"We've requested the Prime Minister and the Law Minister that we need a child-friendly judicial system with fast-track courts and protection of victims and witnesses," he said.

Satyarthi had earlier led the Global March Against Child Labour in 1998 that prompted the ILO (International Labour Organisation) to pass international conventions against the worst form of child labour.