Children are like buds in a garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow. Only through right education can a better order of society be built up. – Jawaharlal Nehru
I vividly remember as kids how excited we were for this day of the year to arrive although we were unaware of its significance at that time. For us, November 14th was a day when we were the center of attention, there were no classes, sweets were distributed, and a function where our teachers would perform for us. At that tender age, it was more than enough for us to be happy and content. But it was only when we grew older that we realized the true significance of the day.
With all that I am today, I consider myself lucky that I had the opportunity of education, food on my plate, a place to live, and better healthcare facilities to build my life on a platform from where I could catch on with the world and compete. But while we are busy trying to make a mark in our lives, we seldom think about the children who do not even see the light of education, do not have proper nutrition, or have access to basic healthcare facilities. Life isn’t fair to them. Right from birth, they are drawn into the vicious cycle of poverty, leading them to fall prey to negative consequences like child labor, poor health, psychological and behavioral problems, and higher crime rates.
This day is a reminder to all of us that children are the future of this nation, and they are the building blocks of a better society. Every child deserves an equal opportunity to shine and grow with equal education, nutrition, and healthcare rights.
The United Nations Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20th each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. It is an important date as it is on this day in 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. And on the same day in 1989, the UN General assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The children’s day in India has been celebrated on November 14th since the year 1964. After Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru’s death, it was decided unanimously to commemorate his birth anniversary as Children’s Day in the country.
Nehru was known for his affection and love for kids, whom he regarded as the ‘future of the country’ and was fondly called as Chacha Nehru. He would often say, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country”. He always emphasized on the education of children and played a major role in the establishment of colleges in the country.
It is a day to celebrate and a time to demand action towards child welfare. Each and every deprived child is telling us, loud and clear: it is time for every child to have every right. And as adults, we also have the responsibility to never let the child inside us die because, as rightly said by Paulo Coelho.
“A child can always teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”
