Former Director of All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) and of the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (AYJNIHH). He is also a member of the Executive Council of the Concerned for Concerned for Working Children.We are very proud that the CWC has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. When we are so excited about it we can only imagine how good you must be feeling!
You and your team of colleagues and more importantly, all your children have worked hard and well, really participating in development, that you really deserve the recognition. We all know that you did what you thought you should with no aspirations of applause!
The world-wide recognition is welcome as it gives you a greater opportunity to bring into greater focus on what you have held important for all times - Child Participation in decisions regarding them and recognition of the difference between Child work and child’s exploitative labour.
We will feel that all child work is not despicable and they have a right to work if they want to! We must not tell them what they should do or not, but we should tell ourselves that we should not take children for granted and claim we know best! Now with this new recognition of your work more people will be drawn to think about it!
We are very proud of Kavita, Nandana, Damu, Ganapathi and the whole big team of CWC, especially the children for all there sincere, hard work. We are certain the CWC fully deserves the honor. Oh, yes, there are many other organizations also doing good work, but we know CWC fully deserves to be considered! This gives them an opportunity to awaken the whole world that children should be given an opportunity to participate and that they must be heard! We should not think we know best! We should let them decide what they want to do. We must only take care to see that they are not exploited! I would not be surprised if different organizations share the Nobel Prize! I do hope CWC is one of them!
Therefore Congratulations to the whole CWC's team again. Keep up the good work and continue to inspire others to do what they feel is best for others!
Dr. N. Rathna and Mrs. Premalatha Rathna
