Notes Class 10 Chapter 2.5 Kumarbharati English Maharashtra Board

Let’s March

Introduction

Author: Kailash Satyarthi

Theme: Children’s rights, education, freedom from child labor, global compassion.

Type: Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech (2014)

About Kailash Satyarthi

• Born in 1954 in India.
• Children’s rights activist fighting against child labor.
• Founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980.
• Protected over 83,000 children across 144 countries.
• Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 with Malala Yousafzai.
• Mission: Ensure every child is free to grow, learn, play, eat, sleep, dream, and live with dignity.

Key Points of the Speech

1. Opening:

• Starts with a Vedic mantra praying for unity and progress for all.
• Greets dignitaries, Malala (called his daughter), and children worldwide.

2. His Work:

• Dedicates award to children like Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das, Adarsh Kishore, and Iqbal Masih, who died for freedom.
• Feels liberated seeing a freed child’s smile.

3. Children’s Struggles:

• Himalayan child laborer asked why the world can’t give a toy or book instead of tools.
• Sudanese child soldier, forced to kill family, asked, “What is my fault?”
• Empty chair on stage represents millions of ignored children.

4. What He Rejects:

• World being too poor to educate kids (one week of military spending could school all children).
• Laws and police failing to protect children.
• Slavery being stronger than freedom.

5. Achievements:

Last 20 years:

• Out-of-school children reduced by half.
• Child laborers reduced by one-third.
• Child deaths and malnutrition decreased.

6. Challenges:

• Fear and intolerance are major threats.
• Poor education fails to teach compassion and global citizenship.
• Risks future violence if unchanged.

7. Solutions:

• Education restores hope and security.
• Small groups and individuals drive change, often unrecognized.
• Story of a bird carrying water to stop a forest fire shows small efforts matter.

8. Global Compassion:

• Calls for worldwide compassion to unite people.
• Quotes Mahatma Gandhi: Peace starts with children.
• Asks, “Whose children stitch footballs but never play?”-all children are ours.

9. A Child’s Voice:

• Rescued 8-year-old girl asked, “Why didn’t you come earlier?” urging faster action.

10. Vision for Today:

• World where every child has rights to life, freedom, education, health, safety, dignity, equality, peace.
• Sees children growing freely in stars, oceans, nature.

11. Call to Action:

Urges governments, businesses, NGOs, teachers, everyone to end child labor, trafficking, violence.

Calls for a march from:

• Exploitation to education.
• Poverty to prosperity.
• Slavery to liberty.
• Violence to peace.
• Ignorance to awakening.

Key Themes

1. Children’s Rights:

• Every child deserves freedom from labor and violence.
• Education and dignity are basic rights.

2. Education:

• Empowers children, fights poverty.
• Teaches compassion, global unity.

3.Compassion:

• Global compassion can transform the world.
• Small acts create big change.

4. Action:

• Urgent collective effort needed from all.
• Everyone plays a role in protecting kids.

5. Hope:

• Believes in a brighter future despite challenges.
• Encourages persistence, optimism.

Important Stories

1. Himalayan Child Laborer:

• Boy asked why no toy or book, only work.

2. Sudanese Child Soldier:

• Forced to kill family, questioned his fault.

3. Bird and Fire:

• Tiny bird carried water to stop fire, showing every effort counts.

4. Rescued Girl:

• 8-year-old asked, “Why didn’t you come earlier?”

5. Cobbler Boy:

• Young Satyarthi saw boy working, dreamed of him in school.

Key Vocabulary

• Aspiration: Strong desire or goal.
• Dignity: Self-respect, pride.
• Shackles: Chains trapping someone.
• Compassion: Kindness for others’ suffering.
• Exploitation: Unfair use of someone.
• Inculcate: Teach through effort.
• Democratise: Make available to all.
• Neutrality: Not acting or choosing sides.
• Innovative: New, creative ideas.
• Culminate: Reach highest point.

Social Issues Highlighted

• Child labor.
• Child trafficking.
• Slavery.
• Child marriage.
• Sexual abuse.
• Illiteracy.

Kailash Satyarthi’s Vision

Every child free to:

• Grow, develop.
• Eat, sleep, see daylight.
• Laugh, cry, play, learn.
• Attend school.
• Dream.