New Delhi, 14th November 2007: Shri Ghuran Mahto, a 54 year old middle built person with hair dyed black wearing white kurta pyjama will look like any normal Indian elder person but no one can estimate the potential he has en-stored in him. Popularly known as ‘Ghuran Master’ in the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) team is a committed activist of BBA and has worked diligently and relentlessly for the cause of  elimination of Child Labour for 16 years. He has been awarded the National Award for Child Welfare, 2006. The award was presented to him by Smt. Renuka Chaudhary, Minister of State (Ministry of Women and Child Development) on Children’s Day, 14th of November ’07.

In 1991 Ghuran Mahto after knowing about BBA joined hands with the movement .As a representative of the organization in Bihar he assumed a designation of initially a National Executive in Saharsa and went to become recently the State Rehabilitation Coordinator for the whole state of Bihar.

There are  many incidents that shows his potential and zeal to see every child free from exploitation.

In 1996 Bachpan Bachao Andolan was expansively working in carpet industry of Mirzapur, Bhadou, Allhabad, Varnasi.  This was new area for BBA to make intervention and mobilize the government officials to take action and rescue trafficked bonded child labourers. Ghuran Mahto was the one to go to every doorstep and collect complaints from parents in the villages. Due to the complaints collected by him BBA was able to work promptly and on Dec 1996, 64 children were rescued from Allhabad District. Handiya tehseel, Bodh Post Ramnathi village. All these children were trafficked from Saharsa, Madhupura, Supaul and were working since 5 years in in-human conditions as bonded labourers. During that raid youngest child that was rescued was Kalu and Shankar Sada. After getting the release certificate Kalu went to Bal Ashram (rehabilitation center, BBA) now he is acquiring education and vocational training. He likes   to write poems on social issues, he is very creative and which ever issue whether it is child labour, dowry or education he portrays the problem and solution to it in a poem which makes people think about the issue seriously.

He also got the opportunity to meet former President of USA Bill Clinton of U.S.A to whom he said "I have been freed from bondage but several of my brothers and sisters are still languishing in it."  He is an activist now and works towards elimination of child labour.

In 2005 Ghuran Mahto during his regular visits to villages a man with sad eyes approcahed him and told him about his missing child. Ghuran was not able to see the sadness and quickly  approached BBA centeral office in New Delhi to start an investigation. After month long it was found that he was working in Amristsar. Rakesh lived a life of a slave along with some other children for five long years. They used to stay in a cow shed and work up to 18 hours everyday. In a rescue operation he was released. He then went to Bal Ashram when he was found, he could not communicate with his parents as the man who mistreated him spoke another language. he stayed with his parents for  few days after which he came to Bal Ashram. He is now learning and reading Hindi. he loves to communicate with drawings.

Rakesh was selected as a jury member for the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child and travelled to Sweden.

During 16 years of his career, Ghuran Mahto has only been devoted to the cause of children namely, elimination of child labour, child welfare, development and education. He has been involved in the rescue of  about 5000 children from the carpet and other industries. It was due to his concerted effort about 1300 children after being rescued received their due share of Rs.20,000/- each as a compensation for rehabilitation and 450 other children were provided houses under Indra Awaaz Yojna .His endeavor also enabled 250 children to receive Rs.100/- per month as governmental aid. Also, about 100 rescued children got acquisition on 5 decimal of land or in total 500 decimal of land. Almost 2 crore 40 lakh is the total amount of money transferred to the parents, rescued children because of the efforts made by him.

He joined BBA’s National as well as international movemenst and actively participated in Shiksha Yatra, Gobal March Against Child Labur, 1998 and South Asian March Against Child Trafficking 2007. He with BBA organized awareness mela and traveled with mukti carvan in more than 500 villages to sensitize people about child trafficking for forced labour, which not only resulted in stopping trafficking of children but also made parents aware of the importance of education.

He was successful in bring together the communities to form People Vigilance Committee so that every community could take responsibility to stop child labour. He was also able to enroll more then 10,000 children in school under the NCLP project.

His attachment and commitment to the cause is praiseworthy and makes him truly deserving of the award being facilitated to him for the remarkable work done by him in his association with Bachpan Bachao Andolan over the years.