OPINION: The Children's bill and the politics behind it

DF, Port Louis, Mauritius

The children’s bill debated in the national assembly on Tuesday, September 17 has some interesting elements.

But while there is still a long way to go to find solutions for existing problems, a group of NGOs stood up to make their feelings known.

Hence the Kolectif Drwa Imin, through its spokesperson pointed out 2 concerns over the bill.

First, the age of marriage and second the age at which a child is chargeable for offence.

In a country where there is an ombudsperson for children, there is much incomprehension as to why these people have to overshadow the responsible body and self proclaim themselves as “societé civile”.

The KDI is backed by ‘collectif arc en ciel’ and ‘young queer alliance’, two organisations which have little to do with children but more with demands from LGBTQI+ community.

There is much worry that those groups have a hidden agenda and are supporting a cause which has nothing to do with them.

Are we witnessing a dirty alliance game between the organisations just like our political parties?

A few months back, young queer alliance and gender links were on the same platform to advocate the presence of members of LGBTQI+ members to be guests on national forum debates like the national budget.

However, no private media has discriminated the LGBTQI+, the absence of its members on the forums clearly shows that their agenda is not integration but a forced acceptance of their demands.

Any opposition to them makes one homophobic, disrespectful of human rights or worse trying to put religious beliefs ahead of the secular state constitution.

It is important to keep an eye on young queer alliance and CAC, both of which have support from the European Union, which was clearly displayed during the pride March of this year.

The most worrying part is their presence on a press conference concerning the children’s bill.

Why have they never been part of a debate regarding workers rights bill? Or bills regarding the ecology? Or the electoral reform debate? Why specifically the children’s bill?