On 5 pm Sunday evening, the crowd around two of Guwahati city’s key structure, namely the Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Center at Pan Bazaar and the Clock Tower at Last Gate, Dispur, came to a standstill as the structures got draped in blue light.
Seeing these lighted structures soon became a site for public attraction in no time. Special occasions deserve special celebrations, and these attractive lighted decorations of the structures were carried out on World Children’s Day on 20th November, which is on Sunday.
This is why the 150 years old, historic British-era DC Bungalow, now the Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Center and the Clock Tower at East Gate, is dazzling in blue on the eve of World Children’s Day 2022.
In other words, Leaders, children, celebrities, and partners champion inclusion and non-discrimination “ForEveryChild” through sports with UNICEF.
Meanwhile, going blue on World Children’s Day is representative of UNICEF’s mandate to stand for the rights of every child and this year, the ‘Go Blue’ lighting in Guwahati was carried out as part of an event organized by the Cotton University, Assam in close collaboration with UNICEF Assam to reaffirm the joint commitment to reimagining a better world for every child.
The inauguration of the lighting this year was done by Dr. Abhijit Borthakur, Head of the Department (HOD), Department of Mass Communication, Journalism and Media Studies, Cotton University, Guwahati.
Addressing the gathering, he thanked UNICEF Assam and Cotton University for the initiative. He switched on the lights, all blue, to mark the occasion.
Dr. Sayanika Dutta, Assistant Professor of the Department, also addressed the gathering on Sunday evening. She spoke on the occasion’s significance and extended wishes on World Children’s Day 2022.
Previously, Guwahati’s Gandhi Mandap was dressed in blue in the year 2020 for the same occasion where Children from Assam also presented the Chief Minister with a manifesto, while student Vandana Urang took over the Chief Minister’s Twitter handle for the day.
When it comes to children’s rights, there’s only one team.
This #WorldChildrensDay and every day, let's come together #ForEveryChild. pic.twitter.com/g61hd9F1T4
— UNICEF India (@UNICEFIndia) November 20, 2022
World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s global day of action for children by children, marking the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989. From the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata to the Qutub Minar in Delhi, Sun Temple in Konark to the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, different structures have earlier been lit in blue on this very occasion.
The illuminated act is performed annually as part of UNICEF’s ‘go blue campaign’ to show support for children’s rights worldwide. The campaign represents global support for creating a safer and healthier environment for children.
Additionally, Cotton University, with support from UNICEF Assam and DIPR, Assam, has offered Media Fellowships to ten media persons from Assam to train them on reporting on child rights and bring children’s issues to the mainstream focus of media narratives in Assam.
“Regarding children’s rights, there’s only one team. This World Children’s Day and every day, let’s come together For Every Child.”, reads a tweet by UNICEF India on Sunday morning.
