CHENNAI: Child representatives from the Children’s Movement for Climate Justice (CMCJ) concluded their five-day national yatra on Environment Protection and Climate Change here in Chennai on Sunday. Around 500 children from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Gujarat participated in this interactive awareness-creating yatra. Over the course of the yatra they spread awareness among over a lakh of people on the importance of protecting the environment and the dire consequences of climate change.One group started its campaign on Tuesday from the Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari and crossed Triunelveli, Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, Ramnad, Tanjore, Cuddalore and Pondicherry to reach Chennai. On the same day another group of children started their yatra from Semiliguda in Orissa and traversed the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh to reach Chennai on Sunday.Addressing the children, Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister of Labour and Employment, appreciated the initiative. “I am sure this national yatra on climate change will create awareness among children all over the country about the protection of the environment. Children have a huge role to play in protecting mother nature for future generations,” he said.“India is one of the signatories of the Kyoto Convention for climate change and we have to act positively in this direction,” Kharge said.Abbas Hanji, 14, a participant from Gujarat, said, “This yatra was a great experience. The message I am taking back home is to plant drought-resistant trees and crops in our village so that with minimum water we have the maximum output.” Artha Horo, 15, from Jharkhand said, “Meeting children from the South is a great experience. I find them highly motivated and spirited. I will go back home and inspire the children of our village to fight against the cutting of trees.”Nithya, 14, from Sivakasi shared her experience of organic farming done near her village by the children collective of which she is a part. She said, “Many children from other states were curious to know how we did it and they now want to do it in their own communities.” Ananthalakshmi, 14, from Andhra Pradesh said, “It was a great learning experience to find out what children from other states are doing.” She said she had picked up some Tamil, “Vanakkam... romba nalla eruku... vanga vanga.”CMCJ is a children-led network for ensuring the ecological rights of children as part of overall child rights specified in the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children) and the Indian Constitution. During the yatra the children managed to create a dialogue among themselves and also among the public to prevent environmental pollution, enchance natural resources management, promoting organic farming, environmental degradation and displacement of people due to development. They took a pledge and submitted a petition with their demands to Mallikarjun Kharge.
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