Mumbai: 10-year-old writes letter to CJI, SC turns it into PIL

CJI N V Ramana. File pic

When Kabir S, 10, wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India, he didn't expect anything to come of it, given his experience with the prime minister. When he was in Std II, he had written to PM Narendra Modi urging him to take steps to save the environment. This time, though, Kabir, now in Std V, was pleasantly surprised when the CJI not only took note but acted on his letter. The Supreme Court has turned his appeal to reopen schools into a PIL.

On Wednesday morning, his mother, Dr Rama Shyam, an ethnographer with a public health organisa-tion, received an SMS from the Supreme Court, informing that Kabir's communication had been given the status of a PIL.

Kabir S

Kabir's letter to CJI N V Ramana, dated August 17, makes a simple request - that schools be allowed to reopen. Quoting Article 14, the Right to Equality, he writes, "My mother has told me that Article 14 of the Constitution talks about equality. While I see that all salons and restaurants are open, all schools are not, and this is not equality towards children.''

When he was in Std IV, his mother had given him a book about the Constitution, Kabir told mid-day.

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Asked why he was so keen to see schools reopen, he said, "I miss my friends. We can only meet online, and that too for a very short period." His school did not encourage children spending too much time online, so his classes ran for just two hours.

The handwritten letter that Kabir wrote to the CJI

After class hours, his screen time is restricted by his parents. "Even I don't like spending too much time in front of the computer. As it is, I have to do my homework on the computer. My eyes hurt."

In his letter, Kabir argues that while different people visit salons and restaurants, the same group of students go to school daily, making them a safer place.

The letter suggests that for schools to reopen, all teachers and school staff could be vaccinated quick-ly. "If all of us follow the protocols, we can go back to school and I can meet my friends again. We are sick of staying indoors," it adds.

Kabir's letter then points out that "many children, including my classmates, do not have proper phones or networks." It also mentions vaccines for children. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC), states the letter, has said it is safe for children above the age of 12 years to be vaccinated, while trials are on for those under-12.

"I would like to know about the status of vaccines for children in India," he writes. His mother refers to the CDC for her work and that's how he knows about it, he told mid-day.

Asked how he thought of writing to the CJI, he replied, "I was very upset that I could not go to school, so my mother suggested that I write to the Chief Justice.'' His mother explained to him that courts can direct the government to do things. So the letter starts off by thanking the CJI for directing the gov-ernment to vaccinate those above 18. "Due to this, my mother, who is 41 years old, could get vac-cinated." When questioned, if he's told to appear before the Supreme Court to represent the public in his PIL, Kabir said he is ready to do so.