Children’s Day was established to bring attention children’s well-being throughout the world. It is celebrated all over the world generally on November 20th. There are however, some countries, such as Australia and India, which still chose various different dates during the year to celebrate this day. The day is celebrated each year to promote International Togetherness and awareness among children worldwide.
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Children’s Day in India
Children’s Day in India is celebrated on 14th November every year on the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Pundit Nehru advocated for the Educational Rights of Children .He was fondly called “Chacha Nehru” by them.
Why is Children’s Day Celebrated in India?
Before, the demise of Pundit Nehru, India was celebrating Children’s Day on 20th November, the date designated by the United Nations. After the death of Nehru in 1964 a resolution was passed to celebrate his birth day, 14th November as Children’s Day to honor him and also his popularity among the children. He was very fond of the children. Despite of his busy schedule as Indian Prime Minister, he loved to stay and play with children. In order to pay him a tribute, his birth anniversary is celebrated as the Children’s Day since 1956. Chacha Nehru said the Children are the future of the country so it is necessary to love and care them until they stand on their own leg. He worked so much for the welfare education, progress and upliftment of the children of India. He made a five year plan that was to provide free primary education, free meals even including milk to the school children so as to prevent children from malnutrition in India.
According to him, Children are building blocks of nation. We can dream of a prosperous nation if its root is healthy and happy. For the progress and development of the youth of India, Pundit Nehru had established various educational institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Indian Institutes of Management and Indian Institutes of Technology.
What is to be Done on the Day?
Children’s day holds a plethora of memories for both adults and children. It is a golden opportunity to make children realize that they are special.
Children’s Day in India is usually celebrated grandly at schools, where teachers arrange various Children’s Day activities for kids to make the day more interesting and joyous. It is celebrated with great zeal in various schools and colleges across India. Special events are organised and students are encouraged to participate wholeheartedly in these events. Various cultural programs and events are organized by the teachers for students speeches, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, quizzes, storytelling, poem recitation, fancy dress competition, debates, and so many. This all is done to explore their talent and paint their moods.
Scenario in India
Apart India’s remarkable progress in addressing poverty, access to education, the results have mainly been depressing.
India’s children continue to face some of the harshest conditions anywhere in the world, with high rates of Malnutrition, Child Labour and Forced Begging, and Childhood Illnesses such as diarrheal disease. Children also face other challenges including a high incidence of HIV infections, a lack of safe drinking water, and inadequate sanitation.
According to a recent report , the current status of Child Health in India is pathetic, even after being a developing economy, 39 children in the under five years age group die per 1000 live births. Though it is less than previous years and the progress has happened for sure but we need to go further to achieve the goal or dream of making every child healthy.
Child labour work force who are in the age group of 14-17 years are usually employed in life threatening work, especially male child as they are the ones who are employed more than girls. A huge number of children work in the glass factories, embroidery and textile industries and recently their number has increased in hazardous computer and electronics recycling units. In addition, millions of children around the nation work unseen in domestic service – given or sold at a very early age to another family to do slavery or labour.
Another worst problem that the country is facing is sexual abuses against girl child. Every day there is at least one child abuse case highlighted in the newspapers. About more than 90 percent of the abused children’s are girls. The children below the age of even five are getting raped, girl’s are sold by parents just for a sum of money. The condition is worsening day by day.
There are children who collect rubbish from train and across the railway stations, these child labor’s are widespread in almost all Indian railway stations. They beg in trains sleep at railway stations or in empty rail carriages, and work as a vendor, or train cleaner. Railway children’s are always on the move, trains take them across the country and far away from their home in search of food and money.
Need of the Hour
Today, Children’s Day is about celebrating each and every child, his curiosity, his uniqueness and his potential. It’s a special phase of life that we’ve all experienced and those experiences are as unique as the child themselves. These experiences shape the children they are and the adults they will become. What is common is that every child is born with limitless potential. In a perfect world, children would grow up to be healthy and happy, but there are many influences encountered by children in their young beautiful lives that have an impact on their development – in negative and positive ways.
Today, we as a society must make a commitment to do whatever it takes to ensure that every child is supported to fulfill their potential and to thrive. We all together should make possible efforts to enrich childhood of every child with beautiful memories.
As the progress is happening, children are the true asset of our nation and we should ultimately remain hopeful that one day, the dream of making every child healthy and prosperous will come true!
