By Vivek Joseph
Hyderabad, Dec 4, 2021: It was decision time for the cabinet. Prime Minister Sindhusree just read out the six resolutions that emerged from discussions throughout the day among her thirty ministers.
The resolutions that had to be ratified ordered, among other things, the introduction of a Universal Basic Income for every individual in Telangana to end hunger in the southern Indian state. The Speaker asked the cabinet to put them vote and, with a show of hands, the resolutions have been passed.
Sindhusree is no ordinary prime minister and her cabinet no regular government body. The tenth grader was elected as the prime minister of the Hyderabad City Children’s Parliament, a collective of children from nine slums across the city. It works together towards solving some major issues faced by their communities.
The City Children’s Parliament is part of the Montfort Social Institute’s “Inclusive Children’s Parliaments” initiative, a network of neighborhood-based forums or groups for children that enable them to be proactively involved in action directed towards developing and empowering their communities.
Montfort Brother Varghese Theckanath, the institute’s director, said the Children’s Parliament is first formed at the slum level and each should consist of not more than 30 children between the ages of 6 to 18 from the neighborhood.
“As small and neighborhood-centric units, each child of the neighborhood is provided with a space to learn, discuss and express their opinions on issues and concerns of their communities. They also get a chance to develop their leadership skills. These slum level parliaments send representatives to the city-level Parliament that works for city and state wide issues,” added the Brother, who has been active in Hyderabad slums for decades.
“This year, the Hyderabad City Parliament and its subsidiary slum-level parliaments have been working towards achieving the UN’s 2nd Sustainable Goal, Zero Hunger through various activities,” explained Vanamala Rani, resource person of the Children’s Parliament Program in Hyderabad.
She also said that earlier this year former prime minister A Jayalaxmi had requested Divya Devarajan, special secretary of the government’s Child Welfare Department to open kindergartens and begin a pilot program of providing breakfast to children in 63 slums in Hyderabad as a way of increasing food security, which was subsequently granted.
During its Winter Session, the cabinet focused on SDG-2 in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic in Telangana. Many child ministers spoke how the pandemic has led to an increase in hunger in the state, the city and slum communities.
Others addressed the issue of malnutrition among adolescent girls and women, the impact of climate change and corporate markets and the effectiveness of various official measures to combat hunger.
Devarajan, who has shown a interest in the children’s parliament, was the chief guest and observer of the Winter Session. Also present was J. Srinivas Rao, chairperson of the Telangana Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.
Receiving the ratified resolutions from Prime Minister Sindhusree, Devarajan she was impressed the Children’s Parliament and all the ministerial roles that are part of it. “You must continue to work to ensure that all people have access to healthy and nutritious food. These resolutions are well thought out and the issues you ministers have spoken about are very important and well explained,” she added.
Aside from the introduction of an unconditional Basic Income in the form of a cash transfer to every individual in the state, the Child Ministers called for reforms in the Public Distribution System and stronger efforts to promote nutrition among women and adolescent girls, especially in slum communities of Telangana.
Speaking of the experiences of their own communities, families and selves, the ministers resolved to work to improve the lives for all vulnerable communities in Telangana.