Children of Kishori Niketan present a dance at CCL in Ranchi on Thursday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Nov. 19: G. Krishnan, adviser to the governor, today expressed concern for children who are deprived of education and health services.

“We should try to give them these necessities. Children should be prevented from working in factories or on streets. The worst crime is child trafficking,” he said.

Krishnan was the chief guest at a function held to mark Child Rights Day at Kishore Niketan Foundation in Central Coalfields Limited (CCL). The programme named Baal Dhamal was supported by ATSEC, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Care Jharkhand, ArcelorMittal India Limited and Jindal Steel.

“Through the programme, we wanted to give a platform to underprivileged children to showcase their talent. Children should not be treated as burden by parents as they are the real assets of the society,” said Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Jharkhand chapter head of ATSEC.

He added: “The students present here have never boarded a train before and they were excited when they came all the way from Lohardaga in a train. The need of the hour is to stop child exploitation and give them a childhood so that they can play and study,” he added.

Cultural programmes were organised.

Students of Kishori Niketan Children, Asha Kiran and Marcha School Children put up dance numbers and sang. Some students of Kishore Niketan dance on “Bharat maa vaibhav tumhara. Qawwali and devotional sings were the other events of the day.

The programme concluded with the prize distribution ceremony to the participating students.