Delhi Police and BSF join hands against child labour

The vendors at India Gate, who are mostly children, went into a tizzy on Monday when they saw over 300 Delhi Police constables and around 500 BSF jawans marching towards Amar Jawan Jyoti. They misunderstood the presence of security personnel for an evacuation drive and started running towards the main road. Ironically, though, the men in uniform were present there to observe World Day Against Child Labour.
(BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)
Human chain is a symbolic partnership
Delhi Police and the BSF formed a human chain with CRY (Child Rights and You) volunteers and visitors at India Gate to mark World Day Against Child Labour.Vikas Chandra, IG, BSF, said, “These children performed on the song Give Me Some Sunshine and it is an apt song for this occasion. It explains that kids need to live their life.” Dependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police, said, “Bachchon ko unka bachpan jeene dijiye. Children should be able to contribute to society and should be nurtured well. Our effort is to work for child rights, we will share information with Child Rights and You (CRY) to locate missing children and will also conduct awareness programmes against child labour at regular intervals.” Vatsala Mamgain, director, CRY, expressed gratitude to them, and said, “The partnership that you can see today with Delhi Police and the BSF is symbolic. It is always working on the ground, and that’s why we have decided to form a human chain today.”
(R) Dependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Operations), with PS Rathore, DIG, BSF (L) (BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)
Delhiites join hands with the forces
The men and women from both the forces came together to show solidarity against child labour. And not just volunteers of the NGO, but even visitors at India Gate joined them. Piya Sharma, a visitor, told us, “I came here after I heard the announcement to form a human chain. I was in school when I last participated in a human chain, but it was for the ‘Save Water’ campaign. And today, it was for another good cause, so I thought, why not.” Another visitor, Dinu Upadhyay, who had come for a picnic there, said, “I was just curious about the programme, but when I saw jawans and cops holding hands with the public, I just went there to join them so I could also get a photo clicked!”
Children and volunteers from the NGO performed (BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)
While the food vendors had left the spot after seeing the cops, the photographers at India Gate returned to click pictures. Durgesh Dubey, one of the photographers, told us, “A BSF jawan called me and asked me to click his picture, and others also joined him. Aaj maine poore din se zyada keval 30 minutes mein kama liya hai.”

Delhi Police officials at India Gate (BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)
Vatsala Mamgain, director, CRY (BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)
Vikash Chandra, IG, BSF and Madhur Verma, DCP Crime, Delhi Police (BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)