IS THIS THE REAL MEANING OF INDEPENDANCE FOR CHILDREN?

 

           IS THIS THE REAL MEANING OF                             INDEPENDANCE FOR CHILDREN?

 India will celebrate its 75 years of Independence on August 15, 2022. In view of 75 years of independence, government's initiative “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” to celebrate the glorious history, achievements and culture of our nation. It is certainly commendable and inspiring. But in this happy time, I want to keep some critical things and  want everyone's support to end them with determination.

when we need to stay, visualize and introspect ourselves....

75th Independence Day is being observed throughout country with flag-hoisting ceremonies - "Har ghar tiranga", parades and cultural events. I am sure it makes each one of us proud to be a citizen of a democratic country. India is the largest democracy in the world. It earned through struggle against the two-hundred year long rule of the British imperialism......but we did not bring emancipation of people from exploitation..... but our Constitution gives us six rights known as the Fundamental Rights. We have the rights and we do exercise them in the most appropriate way.... but are children truly independent??? ....While as adults, we understand the true essence of the day, but children have a unique and a heartwarming take on this Day. The children celebrate this national festival with enthusiasm and glee as much as we cannot. The truth is that they believe in us blindly and because of their innocent nature, we keep on cheating them. There must have been a bit bitter in reading but this is the truth.

               Let us focus on a few poignant aspects presented which have been taken from reliable sources. Watch these figures tell our work honesty......

● Our country is home to the largest undernourished population in the world 189.2 million people i.e.14% of our population is undernourished, 20% of children is under 5 are underweight and 34.7% of children under 5 years of age are stunted.  Only 9.6% of children between 6-23 months in the country receive an adequate diet.

● Moreover, the most alarming figure revealed is that approximately 4500 children die every day under the age of five years due to hunger and malnutrition, amounting to over three lakh deaths every year, owing to hunger, of children alone.                                                             

● Everyday, around 150 children go missing in India – kidnapping and abduction is the largest crime against children in our country. Over the last 10 years, crimes against children have increased 5 times over.

● India is home to the world’s largest population of street children, these children’s are deprived of family care & protection and forced to live in junk boxes or parks or on the streets itself.

● Every day there is at least one child abuse case highlighted in the newspaper and more than 90 percent of the abused children’s are girls. The children below the age of even five are getting raped; girls are sold by parents just for a sum of money. This is sound very shocking but it’s true and shameful.

● Every 40 girls under the age of 15 are forced into prostitution, nearly 1.2 million sex workers are below the age of 18 with about 40 underage girls being forced into prostitution on a daily basis. With the 8% of increase in the flesh trade, Our country has become one of the prominent name in child prostitution.

● Approximately, one in four young women in India were married or in union before their 18th birthday. One in three of the world's child brides live in India. Of the country's 223 million child brides, 102 million were married before turning 15.

● Our country is home to over 30% of almost 385 million children living in extreme poverty, the highest in south Asia. 

● National Humans Rights Commission, Cartels are behind the abduction of over 40,000 children in India every year. Children are regularly hurt and even maimed to make them more pitiable and are usually given targets to meet during their begging trips.

● Average person wastes 137gram of food every single day. That's 0.96 kg per week or 50 kg per year. Actually 40% of the food is wasted which is equivalent to Rs 92,000 crores a year, Etc….

Unfortunately.......by celebrating 75th Independence Day, we have not been able to do even seven work for children. Whatever we think well about ourselves, but we are just hollow from inside. Whom we are making a representative of the country, Excellence in our care should be our utmost responsibilities. I think that there is nothing more important than this fundamental duty. We will have to do this with great honesty and vigilance. Along with this one thing is more important that we should bring population control bill soon.

Let us swear that we will control and reduce in child's right exploitation figure in next Independence Day. It will be an unforgettable day and we will be truly independent. That day will be a day of justice for the children.

I would like to end with these two lines...

Who survives, If nation cries.

Who cries, if nation smiles.