ALLAHABAD: With the aim of making Kumbh Mela a child-friendly fair, Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation and mayor Abhilasha Gupta on Wednesday jointly launched Mukti Caravan , a grassroots campaign-on-wheels to free children from all forms of exploitation.Launched at Subhas Chowk in the city, the campaign is part of a nationwide movement of the Foundation and aims to generate awareness among masses on issues of child trafficking, child abuse and child labour.The campaign that demonstrated positive impact in states like Bihar and Jharkhand, will be replicated in city with the support of the district administration. The campaign will be acting as a safety net for the children and will keep a tab on incidents of inter-state trafficking.“The drive is part of a nationwide campaign and will mobilise people on the issues of child trafficking and child labour. The aim of Mukti Caravan is to make the religious gathering a Child-Friendly Kumbh (Bal Mitra Kumbh),” said Bidhan Chandra Singh, executive director, KSCF.“Mukti Caravan, first launched in 1997 by Satyarthi in several states, has been re-launched here with the aim of making people aware about the preventive measures already in place to fight child trafficking, child labour and child abuse,” he added.“Millions of children would be visiting the Kumbh fair with their parents and there is a high potential of children going missing or getting lost in the large gathering. Mukti Caravan would be extending its safety net to the children so that they are reunited with their parents,” he added.The volunteers associated with KSCF will be running a campaign in the Mela campus as well as in city with the help of wall posters, banners, folk songs and camps to spread awareness about safety and education of children.Mayor Abhilasha Gupta said “KSCF has launched Mukti Caravan to spread awareness on the issues of safety of children. As millions of people including children gather at Kumbh, there are fears of thousands of children getting separated from their parents and landing in the hands of traffickers.”Mukti Caravan was launched by Nobel peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi in 1997 in many states with the aim of emancipating children from traffickers and saving them other forms of exploitation. The movement has travelled more than four lakh kilometres and reached millions of people. It has been spreading awareness in states with highest incidents of trafficking, said Singh.

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