Children’s Day
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Today is 14th November; the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister, late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, and this day is celebrated as Children’s Day throughout the nation. However, the plight of children in India is deplorable as can be judged from following facts:
Ø One third of the world’s children living in poverty are in India;
Ø Every 6th girl-child’s death is due to gender discrimination, also known as female infanticide;
Ø Over 10 million children go to sleep on the pavement each night hungry and unprotected;
Ø Over 40% of children live in poverty and extreme hardship
Ø Nearly half of India’s children are deprived of their fundamental right to education each day;
Ø A startling two-thirds of girl-children cannot read or write;
Ø An estimated 111 million children struggling as child labourers – most often working in hazardous and degrading conditions;
Ø The third largest crime in India after drugs and gun smuggling is child trafficking – over 45,000 children go missing each year;
Ø Over 2 million children, mainly girls aged 5-15, are forced into prostitution and sexual slavery; and
Ø Each year 500,000+ children are forced into the sex trade with an annual increase of 10%.
So, on this occasion of Children’s Day, let’s think as to whether we are worth celebrating a Children’s Day with the viral existence of such evil practices or not. Let’s do our best to mitigate the woes of children and help them flourish in a safe and healthy environment. They are the future of the nation.
