[Reader-list] Film on Girl Child Rights Campaign in Rajasthan (India)

[rahul pandita]

Dariya ki Kasam (Swear by the River) is a 20-minute
film, based on a campaign in Rajasthan for the rights
of Girl Child. 

For almost one year, World Comics India has been
spearheading a campaign in the Barmer district of
Western Rajasthan to create awareness on girl child
issues. This particular belt has one of the lowest
girl child sex ratios in the country. Since the
pre-natal sex determination technique is not widely
available here, girls are often killed immediately
after they are born. Various techniques are used to
kill them. They are fed with milk laced with opium or
simply strangulated to death. Then there is prevalance
of child marriage and unmatched marriages are also
very common. Infact there are villages in this region,
where a groom has arived after 200 years, simply
because there were no girls around. 

Dariya ki Kasam traces the life of a young girl Kabbu,
who lives in one of the villages in Barmer. She is in
eighth class and does not know whether she would be
allowed to study further. Then comics enter in her
life and her life is changed for ever. 

During the campaign, children and adults prepare
around 300 comics posters, which are used as campaign
material. So in a way, this becomes the first campaign
where all the campaign material is generated locally. 

Together with this material, WCI along with a local
organisation organises a bike rally towards the end of
January 2006. Led by International bike racer Bittoo
Sondhi, this rally travels from Barmer to Jodhpur,
making stopovers at around 100 villages. During such
stopvers, the campaign material in the form of comics
is distributed and discussions are initiated.

The film traces a journey from hushed tones to loud
discussions. It sows a spark of change.  

This whole campaign was self-funded. It all became
possible through efforts by various individuals and
communities.

 
Regards
Rahul Pandita


Rahul Pandita 
  www.sanitysucks.blogspot.com
  Mobile: 9818088664


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