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This Ongoing Photo Exhibition In Bhubaneswar On Child Labour Is A Must Visit





This Ongoing Photo Exhibition In Bhubaneswar On Child Labour Is A Must Visit

Bhubaneswar, November 17: The ongoing photo exhibition at Regional Lalit Kala Akademi, to sensitise people on the issue of child labour and how steps can be taken to tackle it is a must visit for the sheer reason that it beautifully explains the intensity of this problem through the medium of photography.

The exhibition that commenced on Wednesday, exhibits around 60 photos divided into three sections. While the first 30 photos are based on the Context of child labour and depicts various professions in which children are employed like roadside dhabas, brick kilns and as domestic help, the second set of photos focuses on situations that ensure Prevention of Child Labour. The photos of children engaged in happy childhood moments such as playing with friends, reading, writing and drawing are the best ones to see!

The third set of photosin the exhibition focuses on the Response of the Labour Department. These photos include images of children being rescued from worksites, children studying in NCLP (National Child Labour Project) schools and residing in seasonal hostels among others.

Informing about the unique exhibition, Sujit Mohapatra, founder of Bakul Foundation said, “The aim of the exhibition is to open the eyes of the public to the varied and yet common and complex instances of child labour and make them aware how they might be complicit in the prevalence of child labour. The attempt is also to make the public aware of what mechanisms are available on behalf of the Government to address this issue and how they can help.”When asked what inspired them to come up with such a beautiful idea, Sujit shared, “The idea emerged out of the Mu Volunteer initiative of Bakul Foundation and UNICEF. The Mu Volunteer initiative is an attempt to promote and strengthen young changemakers and thereby create a community of changemakers in the state. Since images speak more than a thousand words, photographers were roped in to use photos to create awareness on the issuesof child labour.”

Photographer Sanjeet Patnaik of Mushroom said, “It was a challenge to capture instances of child labour as there was resistance from parents and employers. But we are happy to get this opportunity to use our photography skills for an important social cause like child labour.”

The exhibition, organisedby Bakul Foundation, Mushroom: The Photographer’s Circle and the Department of Labour in association with UNICEF, will continue till November 19.

Pictures Courtesy: Rakesh Roul 

Author: Monalisa patsani

Being into journalism since 2012, Monalisa loves listening to people and narrate their stories. She has been exploring different genres of journalism, but writing about the environment, places and people suits her interest.

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