Motor vehicle rally in Vizag drives home the message of protecting girl child

Issues like female foeticide, repressing girls from education has been a constant battle in our country. While our country observed National girl child day yesterday on 24 January, citizens of Vizag joined the Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI) for a motor vehicle rally to create awareness on protecting the girl child.

While the Indian government launched the campaign of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ in 2015 in the city of Panipat, Haryana, most of the rural areas across the country still lack awareness on the said issue. Set on a mission to spread awareness, a group of around 45 activists gathered together and rallied through the city starting from Gandhi statue at Seethammapeta, covering areas of Gangavaram and Yarada on the way, making it a 65 km long rally. The group included 7 women from different fields of education and science, joining them was a 5-year old girl with her family making the rally significant to its cause. The entourage carried national flags and placards while chanting slogans on saving the girl child, which intrigued the onlookers on knowing more about the oath being pledged. On the route, the rally stopped and set up a public addressing system for the villagers to perceive the importance of safeguarding and educating the girl child in Vizag.

Overwhelmed by the response and outcome of the rally, Mr. Nageswararao, Chairman of YHAI says, “The objective behind us conducting the rally was to take the issue to the streets and encourage parents of girl children to provide them with proper education as they are the future of this country.”