by Rahul Verma
PROUT Editor's note: Kailash Satyarthi is world famous for his tremendous work to free the slaves, particularly the child slaves, in India. Some of the slaves he found had been in literal chains for years. Due to his untiring efforts, he has obtained the release of more than 40,000 child slaves in India during the past ten years. In this instance, another strategy would be to distribute leaflets to the audiences during circus performances, informing them that the little girls in front of them on the stage are slaves and that they should demand their immediate release from the circus owners. It is persons such as Kailash Satyarthi whom we should all join hands with and work with to fight the injustices rampant in the society. In that process, all our lives can become dignified.
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NEW DELHI, July 7 (OneWorld) - Child rights activists awaiting the release Thursday of eight minor Nepalese girls working in an Indian circus are launching a countrywide campaign to free others like them, who face rampant sexual abuse.
Activists say the eight girls, aged below 14, are expected to be released by the High Court in the northern Indian city of Lucknow. They were reportedly sexually exploited by the owners of the Great Roman Circus in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
The campaign to free the children was spearheaded by the New Delhi-based Global March Against Child Labor, along with a partner nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Nepal. The campaign followed a complaint lodged by the parents of 11 minor girls working as trapeze artistes and assistants in Indian circuses.
Three girls were released last week. Members of the coalition are already out campaigning in areas where other circuses are currently holding shows.
"They are campaigning in front of circuses and educating the people about forced child labor," discloses Kailash Satyarthi, chairperson of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), an Indian unit of Global March Against Child Labor.
Satyarthi, who was attacked along with other activists by members of the Great Roman Circus in Uttar Pradesh last month, stresses that children in the industry are forcibly pushed into the sex trade. A child testified in court that she was paid as less as US $6 a month for her work as an assistant in the circus.
Most of the girls in Indian circuses are from Nepal and are brought into India by brokers who promise their parents money, schooling and income for the children.
"Some parents got in touch with organizations in Nepal when they did not hear from their children," according to a BBA activist.
The group estimates there are some 500 girls still being illegally employed in around 50 circuses across India. "Our campaign to get them freed continues," assures Satyarthi.
The BBA has been in touch with the Circus Federation of India, which has promised to release minors in phases. "But there are several circuses that are either not registered under the federation or work under different names in different places," says the activist. "So it is not easy getting information about the children who are being forced to work there."
In April this year, the Great Indian Circus in Palakkad in the southern state of Kerala was raided by the BBA and minor girls were freed.
But when the NGO tried to get the minors released from the Great Roman circus last month, they were surrounded and physically attacked by circus henchmen who, the activists say, were supported by state administration authorities.
"Satyarthi was leading a group of activists and parents to rescue some children who are enslaved as circus performers at the Great Roman Circus and are treated abominably and even sexually abused," says the Hong Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission in a statement Monday.
The activists, AHRC accuses, were attacked with knives, iron rods and guns, and Satyarthi suffered a head injury.
"AHRC is concerned by the lack of action taken by the state government with regard to child abuse and the unlawful action of the state officers in attacking Satyarthi and other activists," it says.
The circus owners were arrested when the government-instituted National Human Rights Commission intervened. "We now want the NHRC to probe child labor in other circuses as well," says Satyarthi.
The NGO is also urging the federal government to launch an investigation into the use of child labor in circuses. Satyarthi discloses that his group also plans to move court, asking for an independent commission to look into the matter.
Though most of the minor girls working in circuses are from Nepal, some of them are brought in from Darjeeling and Assam in eastern India.
"Unfortunately, we have very little information about the children who come from these parts of India and are being exploited by the circus owners," rues Satyarthi.
The group is now going to set up camps in these Indian areas to gather information about children who are employed by circuses. "Often, the parents have no idea what kind of exploitation their children face," says the activist.
