November 14, the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is celebrated as Children’s Day across the country. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru believed that children must be provided with love and care as the future of a nation lies in their hands. Children truly deserve a day that is dedicated to them.
This day is considered to be one among every child’s favorite day. It is a time for festivities and a day to rejoice for the nation’s young ones. And then is when one has to realize what
What for the downtrodden street children?
The day is marked with a lot of activities for children. But the fact remains that only a section of the country’s children actually have an opportunity to celebrate their existence. Schools organize events and activities that their students thoroughly enjoy, but there is an entire populace of young ones that are left ignored on this special day – the downtrodden street children.
Instead of celebrating it with pomposity in schools and clubs and hotels, why not bring a difference into the lives of children who are unprivileged. While celebrating being a child, the fortunate ones should be reminded about their good fortune to have all that they are endowed with, while there are others who can barely feed or clothe themselves. Others, who still have to work as “Chotu” in various dhabas and restaurents, the ones who are lifting weights and working in factories,the ones who are rag picking and keeping the city clean and the ones selling balloons in the nearest, the ones who are begging on the road side,the ones you see on your nearby “Pan ki dukaan” and the ones on roadside stalls.
While this day was globally instituted to provide children with basic Rights, maybe one can make a difference to a child’s life by doing something special. Parties and celebrations happen all the time, but how about taking the fortunate children to homes that shelter street children and have them befriend those kids, donating clothes, toys, stationery, books, etc.
Another way of celebrating this day differently would be to have your children, whether as teacher or parent, organize a party for some underprivileged children. In fact, if this is done in every neighborhood, imagine how many smiles there will be across the nation.
Celebrating Children’s Day is about giving children the right to enjoy and grow into healthy and educated citizens of the country, and if you can teach your child the value of sharing with others what they are lucky to have, then not only your child will grow into a responsible human being, but also another child who otherwise could have ended up being a delinquent, had it not been for your thoughtfulness.
Childhood is about innocence and playfulness. It is about joy and freedom. Maybe on this day you can make your own child sign up to sponsor the education of an unprivileged child, either through an NGO dedicated to educating and providing better living conditions for street children, or maybe you could do so for your employee’s child.
We leave it up to you how you want to celebrate Children’s Day this year, by faking or by actually making some kids smile.
HAPPY CHILDREN’S DAY!