Battle against bar
R Vaishnavi, a conscientious sixth-grader from St Joseph’s Public School in Hyderabad, took matters into her own hands when residents faced harassment from inebriated patrons of a newly opened bar and restaurant in her neighbourhood – Samanagar, a residential enclave in the city with several schools and colleges in its midst. “We’re worried about walking through the area. There are several coaching centres in our area. Students attend classes at these centres at night,” Vaishnavi said.
She wrote a heartfelt letter to Telangana high court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, highlighting the challenges faced by residents, particularly students attending night classes and senior citizens wary of venturing out for evening walks. Chief Justice Aradhe, moved by the young girl’s plea, converted her letter into a PIL in March 2024. Seeking accountability, HC summoned state, excise, and municipal officials to explain how a bar was sanctioned in a residential and educational locality. The case remains under court scrutiny.
For lactating moms
In 2018, a groundbreaking legal initiative took shape in Delhi HC, spearheaded by an unexpected petitioner: Avyaan Rastogi, a mere nine-month-old at the time. Represented by his mother Neha Rastogi, an advocate, his PIL sought to address a pressing issue: the absence of breastfeeding facilities in public spaces in India. The heart of Avyaan’s PIL lay in the recognition of the challenges faced by lactating mothers when venturing outside their homes.
Young petitioners prove its never too early to seek justice
The first thing that comes to mind for a new mom is how to manage nursing while travelling. Breastfeeding in public feels awkward for many young moms, who feel shy due to the fear of strangers gazing at them. Babies often pull at clothes during feeding, making moms even more uncomfortable in public, the petition highlighted the stigma surrounding breastfeeding in public spaces that often left mothers feeling uncomfortable and exposed, inhibiting their ability to provide essential nourishment to their infants.
HC’s response to Avyaan’s PIL was resounding. On Nov 6, 2019, court acknowledged the strides made in establishing feeding and changing rooms at over a hundred locations. Recognising the importance of extending these facilities beyond Delhi, Neha filed a subsequent PIL in Supreme Court in 2022. Avyaan is now six years old; a student of Class 2.
Combating Delhi’s air pollution
As Delhi wore its vicious smog cloak, 13-year-old Aditya Dubey’s sinusitis flared up. He initiated tree plantation campaigns to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR. With public support, Aditya led efforts to plant one million saplings. However, realising the need for more comprehensive action, he filed a PIL in SC at the age of 17, demanding a permanent solution to Delhi’s annual air quality crisis.
“I realised that planting saplings is not enough… I was concerned about the well-being of people around me as my aunt and some friends are asthmatic,” said Aditya, now 21, and currently studying computer science at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His petition led to formation of Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Oct 2020. “Since its formation, CAQM has taken some steps to improve air quality. Stubble burning cases are also reducing every year. However, more needs to be done to ensure people in Delhi-NCR breathe clean air,” Aditya said.
In 2016, Supreme Court took a significant step in combating air pollution during Diwali in Delhi by banning firecrackers, responding to a petition filed by Arjun Gopal, Aarav Bhandari, and Zoya Rao Bhasin, children of advocates.
The following year, when the children were between two- and four-years-old, they approached the top court once again, urging for reinstatement of the ban and advocating for prohibition of firecracker sales in Delhi.
The top court, acknowledging the gravity of the situation, found merit in the children’s plea and the arguments presented by lawyer Gopal Shankaranarayanan, father of Arjun Gopal. The petition highlighted the impact of air pollution on children, emphasising that their vulnerable respiratory systems, which are not fully developed, make them particularly susceptible to various health issues such as “lung disease, asthma, coughing, bronchitis, and retarded development of nervous system and cognitive impairment”.
For hygiene, dignity in education
Manjunath, a Class 8 student at Morarji Desai Residential School in Koppal district, about 400km from Bengaluru, has shown remarkable resilience in fighting for his rights. In 2019, then a fourth-grader, he filed a PIL in Karnataka high court for a second set of stitched uniforms to students in govt schools statewide, highlighting the importance of hygiene and dignity in education.
The court, led by chief justice Abhay Sreeniwas Oka, ruled in his favour. “We fail to understand how state govt feels that only one uniform is enough. The state cannot expect a student to wear the same uniform 5-6 days a week. It is not only irrational but also unhygienic,” the division bench observed.
However, subsequent compliance has been lacking. Manjunath continued his fight, filing a civil contempt petition against Karnataka govt for non-compliance, arguing that despite budgetary allocation, uniforms were not distributed. His pursuit of justice also secured shoes and socks for students as part of their school attire, benefiting thousands aged six to 14 under Right to Education Act.
Manjunath’s inspiration was his father Devappa Harijan, a farmer who represented him in court. The 13-year-old aims for a secure job to support his parents.
“Their care and well being are my utmost priority and I am determined to ensure their comfort and happiness,” he said.
For reconstruction of bridges
As torrents of water barrelled down during the devastating Kerala floods of Aug 2018, two vital bridges were destroyed in the remote village of Mlamala in Idukki district. Despite promises from authorities, months passed without any action to rebuild the village’s lifeline. Frustrated by the lack of progress, five students from Fathima High School — Jomia Thomas, Anumol PA, Dion Chacko, VA Vanidas and Ahsana Mehrin — wrote to Kerala high court Chief Justice S Manikumar. Moved by their plea, he converted their letter into a suo motu petition in 2019.
Although HC directed Kerala govt to reconstruct the bridges, progress remained stagnant. “We persisted because of the encouragement from court, which also conducted an adalat in the school that was attended by district judges,” said Anumol, who was then in Class 10.
One of the rebuilt bridges, Santhipalam, was inaugurated by state PWD minister PA Mohammed Riyas in March this year, but the students were not invited to the event, sparking local protest.
Residents put up a flex board near the bridge, honouring the students and judges. It proclaims in bold: “Kuttikale ningalanu tharam (Children, you are the stars).”
The second bridge, Nooradipalam, is ready too along with ongoing work on its approach road, marking a significant victory for the village and the determined students.
To protect their playground
Led by A Deeksha, 23 children from an old housing board colony in Adilabad town took a courageous step to protect their precious playground from “land sharks” who have encroached half of the 1.5-acre community recreational space. The youngsters appealed to Telangana high court in Feb this year for help.
HC turned the children’s letter into a PIL, issuing notices to both state govt and district authorities. The court didn’t stop there. It also questioned people involved in building a temple on a section of the playground, demanding explanations from the authorities on how such construction was permitted.
(Inputs from Sagar Kumar Mutha, Vasantha Kumar, Sudha Nambudiri, Priyangi Agarwal)
