Children are children. They are God’s investment in the world. They are God’s gift the parents. They are the nations’ future. They are world citizens.
India celebrates 14 November as Children’s Day coinciding with the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. To the children of the day he was known as Chacha Nehru. Because he had a special corner in his heart for children!
Statistics say that India is home to 444 million children. The Constitution of India guarantees to every child certain human and fundamental rights for life, freedom and growth.
However, sadly many are nipped in the bud through abortion, legal and illegal. Even legal abortion in India allows killing a living foetus up to 24 weeks. Call it murder, all in the name of right to woman’s ‘reproductive right.’ This Supreme Court ruling negates the child’s right to be born. Did the judges know that even at about 23weeks the baby in the womb is 11.4 cm long, weighing about 0.7kg; it’s getting face formed, brain developing, taste buds growing, responding to light and sound from outside the uterus. To abort that child illegally or under legal benevolence is just murder. Call whatever term you want.
Coming to children born and are alive, they are accorded certain rights. Their right to growth and development, to education, freedom from exploitation, freedom form hazardous work, freedom from ill treatment, right to family life, nutrition, freedom and dignity, etc.
Let us adults appreciate the presence of children; Let us not make them a tool for our pleasure or exploit them for our convenience. Let us not deny them opportunities for growth and development. Under no circumstances should we cast a spell of discrimination on them because some may be from poor families or come from economically backward communities? Let us respect children as human beings who have rights and freedoms, who have needs and aspirations.
When we come across child labour or discrimination against children, or ill treatment in any manner, let us not just raise eye brows, but respond meaningfully with positive action to cry foul. Because children are unable to raise their vice, let us lend our voice to them. That is the minimum act of human kindness we can express as adult human beings.