Nau Kadam Express to Demand 9% GDP for Education and Health

‘Mere papa bheekh maangte hain lekin main padhna chati hoon’ (My father is a beggar but I want to study). This is a simple, straight and innocent desire of an 8 year old Sitara who left the whole crowd speechless and moved. This was an expression of one of the participants supporting Nau Kadam Yatra in Lucknow.

Loreto Convent Intermediate College, Lucknow in collaboration with Oxfam India became the first to welcome the Nau Kadam Express in Lucknow on Wednesday, 16 November 2011. This is a group of students from North East who are traveling with a mission to gather public support to make union government allocate 9% of its total GDP for education and health. These children from various backgrounds, different abilities and situations shared their experiences and the importance of education for them. The theme in Lucknow was to focus on Urban Poor Child.

The Chief Guest for the occasion was the Member of Parliament, BJP, Lalji Tandon who pledged to raise the issue in the Parliament. Brother Steve Rocha of Christian Brothers discussed the importance of education and the role of public in supporting this movement. He appreciated that representatives of different political parties were present on the occasion to support the cause.

Farrukh Rahman Khan from Oxfam India discussed the plight of urban poor and the need to have exact statistics of urban poor so that sufficient services and facilities could be provided to them.

Children from a blind school presented a cultural programme whereas children from North East staged a mime on the issue. The programme concluded with Lalji Tandon flagging off a rally where hundreds of children participated supporting the issue.

Story Credit: Rashmi Kala