During the last US election, Isaac Anthony, a six-year-old, published a video where he said: “I’m here to tell you the top 10 reasons not to vote for Obama.” Number 10 was: “He takes money from people who work hard and he gives it to people who don’t work at all.”
The boy goes on to suggest, among other things, that Obama wants to take guns away from the good guys, is not proud of America, and bows down to leaders from other countries. “And number one: nobody knows where he came from,” he concludes, pointing to a world map on the wall. Critics of the video say the boy’s parents and other agents are using him as a mouthpiece for things he doesn’t even understand.
On the morning of May 5, my wife and I were aware of the schedule of Hefazat-e Islam’s demonstration, which had been announced earlier, but I will never forget the scene. Thousands of supporters had taken position on the roads. Most of the supporters were young boys of less than 20 years. Most of these boys came from different corners of the country, from Qawmi madrasa backgrounds, and most of them did not know why they were there.
On October 15, the Coalition of NGOs for the Protection of the Rights of Children in Kosovo (KOMF) issued a public statement calling on local institutions and political entities to stop using children in their campaign activities. The KOMF stated: “Based on available information and field reports, we understand that by holding their electoral activities in school premises, besides impeding the regular education process, the political parties are also using children to promote their political platforms and candidates.”
Across the globe, the use of children in political campaigns is not uncommon. In recent days, the trend has increased alarmingly. Children are used for election rallies, distribution of materials, street campaigns etc.
In Bangladesh, children are used as picketers during strikes where mostly slum and street children are exploited. Using children for election work is clearly a violation of their rights.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which has been ratified by Bangladesh, states under Article 36 that: “Children should be protected from any activity that could harm their development.”
The UNCRC also states that the government should protect them from work that is dangerous, or might harm their health or their education. The best interests of children must be the primary concern in decisions that may affect them. Adults should do what is best for children, and think about how their decisions will affect children. The government has a responsibility to make sure children’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. The 2011 National Children’s Policy of Bangladesh clearly states that children should not be used in political activities.
However, the rights of children are not being respected. With instances of children being used in various activities by political parties during election campaigns, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) of India has written to their Chief Election Commissioner, noting they have been observing child rights violations repeatedly. During the last election in Nepal, children were misused and manipulated by political parties in election campaigns.
The issue was brought to the limelight in Bangladesh after the overwhelming presence of madrasa students at Hefazat-e Islam’s Dhaka siege program on May 5, and the political rally in Motijheel that evening.
Unicef expressed concern and urged all political parties to refrain from using children for political purposes, and to ensure that children were protected from all violence. Unicef added, that use of children in political demonstrations may put them at the risk of violence and injury.
Some measures should be taken to ban the use of children for political interest. Already, the parliamentary oversight panel has also recommended this, and urged that a provision be added in the Children’s Act 2013 to prohibit the use of children as political tools.
In addition, children in different madrasas and orphanages should be included in the act, so that these children are not used for politics. Currently, the main opposition parties and their allies frequently observe strikes and other programs, hurting children’s education.
It is the responsibility of the government to ensure all the essential services required by the children are not disrupted during the hartal. On the other hand, the opposition must not call strikes/blockades on the exam dates at least.
During the upcoming election, political parties should make a commitment in their manifestos to not use children for political gain. The EC can play a vital role in protecting children’s roles in the election. It can take necessary action against candidates and parties if this violation happens.
EC officials can stay vigilant about the involvement of children in carrying ballot papers or other equipment to toll boths.