Bengaluru: The tough questions came this time not from firebrand leaders on the opposition benches but from children from various parts of the state who were here to take part in the Children’s parliament. And Chief Minister Siddarmaiah handled them with ease though some questions did catch him on the wrong foot.
The questions varied from those on castism, female foeticide, child trafficking and the Devadasi system to child marriages. Mr Siddaramaiah was caught off guard when a student, Bharat candidly reminded him that he had not replied to his question. Bharat wanted to know Mr Siddaramaiah’s views on growing incidents of child trafficking and existence of the Devadasi practice in the state. Mr Siddaramaiah stated that the government was taking enough steps to check incidents of child marriage but Bharat intervened saying he had not asked about child marriages but about child trafficking.
Smiling, Mr Siddaramaiah said that he was about to reply his question. “The state government is keeping tabs on child trafficking cases but as far as the Devadasi practice is concerned, there is a high degree of superstition among people in our state. We need to get rid of such superstitions through awareness. The state government is planning various awareness campaigns against such practices,” he said.
Amulya wanted to know why the state government could not solve simple problems like child malnutrition, despite claiming that Karnataka was one of the progressive states in the country? Mr Siddaramaiah conceded the government’s inability in containing malnutrition and said, “Yes, we have failed to some extent in tackling malnutrition. We will definitely pull up our socks up to tackle this problem. I will right away give directions to officials to take this issue seriously.”
Another girl student asked why authorities had repeatedly failed to tackle sale of drugs and liquor in the vicinity of schools to which Mr Siddaramaiah said that such incidents were reported only in Bengaluru city and not in any rural area. “I have certainly taken this very seriously. I am personally pained over such incidents,” he said.
Prabhavati, a student from Chikkajala asked why the state government was creating divisions among students by identifying SC, ST or OBCs?
Smiling, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “There are several sections who have been deprived of facilities. The state government is not dividing society, it is a mere exercise to identify the real beneficiaries.”
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