Ignoring the inconsiderate reality of children amidst celebrations

UJJAINI SHARMA

Every hour a child is ill treated, beaten up, molested or deprived from enjoying his childhood by the so-called guardians of the society, who make children work as laborers or servants in factories or homes. This harsh reality is what negates the essence of celebrating the day of November 14 as Children’s Day, when children all over the country are treated specially by their parents, teachers and the society at large. Children’s Day as we all know is organized to increase awareness of people towards the rights, care and education of children.

Is this what every child receives being God’s special gift? Sadly, the real picture turns out to be totally dark and brutal. Still a thousand innocent eyes crave for food, education and a proper livelihood which has made them forget to smile and be happy. Child labor, the bacterium that has pierced our society shamefully makes us butchers of a child’s hopes of blissful happiness. When the country prepares to make a child feel exceptiol by celebrating November14, we forget to realize that a single day is not enough to cater to the needs of those desirable brood who every day fall prey to inhuman treatment.

Many organizations and people are working to free our country from the mece of child labour but the veracity is that every second a child is being molested or abused which stches away his or her childhood, leaving deep impact on their little minds. Vice versa the parents who are protective of their children’s safety suffer from psychological fears and finds ways to provide a safe haven to their kids, where human beasts cannot play the flesh-and-blood game. The recent incidents of child molestation and rape cases in our country bring to the forefront how desires are fulfilled by wrong doers to feed their dirty minds. Punishing these perpetrators of ive kids would be our real way of commemorating this day which will ensure that our children can be nurtured in a safe environment.

Every year the government, schools, NGOs and other private organizations organize special events and programmes on Children’s Day by giving away specials gifts or by distributing sweets, chocolates among children to bring smiles on their adorable faces. Even some NGOs organize camps for street children to make them feel special and cared for. In view of these celebrations, sorrowfully we try to forget how on this very day, some children are still being made to work from day to dawn with no respite by their owners.

These children are unlawfully employed in factories where hazardous substances are produced that indirectly cause these children to suffer from serious ailments. Even though child rights groups are fighting for these children and the government has even issued directives to prohibit the employment of children below 14 years by any person or institution, practically very little has been achieved to stop exploitation and cruelty on disadvantaged kids.

Hence, it may be stated that celebrating Children’s Day in our country will be meaningful by freeing children from the shackles of hunger and poverty through education. Schools and NGOs should come out with comprehensive plans to set up special schools for these needy children so that in future they can become the pride of our country.  Celebration of the life of the deprived kids must be the only perfect way to rejoice Children’s Day in our country.

It may be recalled here that this special day is widely fêted to pay tribute to our country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary. Pandit Nehru’s unbounded love and affection for children was so deep that his birth day came to be commemorated as Children’s Day and thus children greeted him as Chacha Nehru.  

Last but not least, in the words of Panditji, “Childhood is the great moment when everyone should be given a right track to become successful in future as an asset of the country, without which a child may miss living a good life.” Nehru even said that children were like the buds of the garden, who if nurtured with good values could become the torchbearers of our country in future.