NEW DELHI Thousands of children joined hands at a rally Friday in Delhi demanding the right to be educated and displayed a one kilometer long cloth banner on which nearly 200,000 children had signed their names in a letter written to the Federal President K.R. Narayanan which they plan to hand to him soon, march organizers said. The rally was organized by two bodies working for Universal Primary Education for Children across India, child relief and you (cry).

The rally saw children from various social segments, from the kids who go to English-speaking schools to slum children, coming together in their cause. Rajesh, 8, from Delhi's Tikdi Village, said: My father is a Chowkidar (watchman) and I have two brothers and three sisters. But I go to Swati", a school run by cry whenever I have time as at other times I have to help out at home as I am the eldest child in the family.

I feel every child must get free education." Rekha Vohra, consultant for cry for educational advocacy, said: we are trying to create mass awareness for the government to take up the issue soon. She says that letters were not only from the cities but also remotest part of the country which shows the urgency of the situation. The two organizations began the campaign last September when the government had planned to move a bill in Parliament to make education a fundamental right of children.

The legislation fell through when the 13-party united front Coalition Government headed by Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral collapsed and an election was held. The new government headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has promised to revive the legislation once again. (DPA)