PATNA: A children's rally was organized by the international NGO, CCF India, on Wednesday to mark the `World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse'.

Around 500 children from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Chattisgarh participated in the event raising slogans in favour of stopping child abuse. The programme was formally inaugurated by assembly Speaker Uday Narayn Choudhary. The Speaker pointed out that there was widespread child abuse in the country and state. He stressed that the socio-economic condition of the family was the key factor behind child labour.

Earlier, giving his keynote address, CCF India chairman Salil Bhandari highlighted the extent of child abuse in the country and state. He said that despite laws framed there was rampant child abuse in India. He pointed out that India has the largest number of working children in the world. Rattling out statistics, Bhandari said that 69 per cent of the children in India are physically abused and around 50,000 children were found to be missing last year, according to a government of India report.

He said that the report, published by the Central Social Welfare Department, shows that 53 per cent of children are sexually abused. India was on its way in overtaking Thailand in this account, he said. He said that over 52 per cent boys and over 47 per cent of the girls are reported to be sexually abused in Bihar.

Labour minister Awadhesh Narayan Singh on the occasion spoke on the government programmes and policies aimed at addressing the sensitive issue. He, however, stressed that legislation alone cannot resolve the issue and there was a need to reform ourselves from within for an actual remedy. Bihar Child Labour Commission chairman Ram Dev Prasad said that unfortunately the law makers and law enforcers sometimes indulge in promoting child labour and child abuse.

The National Coalition for Education also held a function in which several social activists vowed to fight for the protection of children's rights.