Run For Rights-A Marathon of Hope

Rampur campus: 

Nepal, a country whose backbone of economy is the remittance sent by the migrant workers. With their blood and sweat all they have spent on the foreign soil, we are able to live our lives with ease here. But unlike their contribution to the country, it seems that the country is still unable to guarantee their rights. Migrant worker rights have been limited into some black and white paragraphs and probably lying on the dusty racks of the law-makers. Whether it is the news of hundreds of migrant workers in Libya in the verge of life and death during the armed-conflict or the Nepali workers being deceived by the manpower company or the recent news of a migrant worker from Bhojpur who was not only looted whatever she earned but was also forced to server with her body to the officials at TIA, everything signifying the loopholes in the law and its implementation. Amidst all these number of violation going on in the country and abroad Amnesty International Rampur Youth Network organized a marathon race “Run for Rights” with a motto of raising awareness among the youths of Rampur who in turn would raise their voices and disseminate the information all around the country in their village and towns.

“Informing a youth today is awakening the whole country tomorrow”, with this theme the marathon race was inaugurated by coordinator of Rampur Youth Network Bhawana Ghimire. The chief guest Mr. Deek Prasad Ghimire, Deputy General Secretary of National Executive Committee, AI Nepal Section stressed on assuring the migrant workers rights from the government and for which youth mobilization and such campaigns are of high significance. Similarly other speakers included the assistant campus chief Mr. Ishwor Chandra Prakash Tiwari, Treasurer of National Executive Committee, AI Nepal Section Mr. Pratap poudel, Coordinator of AI Narayani Group 33 Mr. Arjun Adhikari and Member of Human rights and Peace Society Nepal Mr. R. K Budathoki who had a combined view against the violation of Migrant Workers rights and an appeal to the youth to feel the responsibility against the growing monopoly in the trade of workers.

A total of 52 students took part in the Marathon race out of which 37 were boys and rest were the girls. The race commenced with the scissoring of ribbon in-front of the post Graduate Academic Building by the chief guest of the program. With the message posted on their back the participants made a round around the American Highway in which the boys had to make a 5 complete rounds of the Highway while 2 complete rounds for girls. The 5kms marathon race of boys finally came up with a result and that included Bishal Khadka as the winner, Sagar GC as the 1^st runner up and Nripraj Joshi as 2^nd runner up. Similarly the 2kms marathon race yielded Sabita Joshi as the winner, Swati Shrestha as 1^st runner up and Madhuri Thapa as 2^nd runner up.

The congratulations giving and prize distribution program was supported by the cheers and applauses of the spectators. Finally the coordinator of the Rampur Youth Network formally concluded the program with a promise to actively participate in such campaigns in the coming days and join shoulders to shoulders with the youths to fight against all sort of inequalities prevailed in the nation and hoped that such programs would blow a trumpet of the  current situation of migrant workers on the deaf ears of the concerned authorities.