Children's Day Article

Children's day.
What does children's day mean, anyway? A day when children at school are given chocolates and cakes and are sent back home? When children in schools light candles in front Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's photo and remember him? Do you think this is what children's day is? Giving cakes to children and showing them their way home? No, it's not. It can't be.

I want you to come into reality. Out of your comfort zone. Out on the road. Under the ferocious burning sun. And there, right there, you most certainly give a slight, attentionless glance towards the children working on roads, picking up bricks, cleaning places, selling things, washing vehicles, wearing dirty, smeared and spotted rags, their brows furrowed, eyes squatted, jaws tight, beads of sweat prickling on forehead, only bones, body muscle-less, hard at work, hands throbbing with pain, feet full of blisters, full of scars, barefoot... poor.

You see this everytime you step out of your house. But no, you just wanna turn a blind-eye towards it. You won't give a second thought, barely a second glance. But no, you don't. Because who cares about these children, right? Why should anyone do that anyway? Who cares even? Why would anyone do that too? They're not yours either, right? Who the hell thinks about caring for them?
You don't give a damn about them. You look away, into your business once again because you've got a difficult, busy world, right? You have things of your own to care about, right?

That's ludricous! Plainly immense stupid! Just get out of your cockmamie world!
They may not be your children! They may not! But the future stares you right in front of your face.

They are the future if our nation! The children of our nation!
And guess what, Chacha Nehru said the same!
"Children are like buds in a garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of our nation and citizens of tomorrow. Only through right education can a better order if society be built up."

 If you give them a second thought, even a second glance you may tend to be a part of changing the future if our nation, in a way if another.

Children's day means giving these children true freedom. Liberty from hungry stomachs. Liberty from working at tea stalls. Liberty from puncture sites. Liberty from lack of education. Giving them their right of sending them to schools like the rich born kids are. The right of education for the betterment of the nation,
because "Every child has the right to an education."

And every child has the right to know what 14th November teaches us. Every child has the right to eat chocolates- but in schools.
Sitting there, happily gazing at the teacher, taking in everything she says, wearing crisp school uniforms, eyes twinkling with excitement of the completion of the wistfulness of sitting there... studying in school... books in hands instead of axes, bricks,tea cups, cigarettes, hammers, fruits, using pens for writing instead of selling them. Smiles dancing on their faces.
Warm and comfortable. Stomach full of food. Mind peaceful and calm. Recieving education.

I'm elated to know there actually are people still alive in our country who do care about these thirsty children- thirsty for their rights, education, care, love. The people who are making the futures of our nation better.

I'm glad to share to you a story of a child on this precious day.
Dressed in what seemed like old clothes, a steel bowl clutched tight in hands, face looking hopefully inside the classroom where midday meal was being served, a tiny girl peeped into the classroom. She could actually taste the food which hung around in the atmosphere around her. Her mouth filled with water. Heart thudding- pounding a mile a minute hoping so badly for the food to be saved so she could take it home. Minutes tick by as she stands statue-still. Alas! It's another yet day in her life for her to be sad- the food is over. She hasn't lost hope, though. There is sadness filling in her heart and tears trickling down her face. It's yet another day she has to sleep empty stomach. Maybe tomorrow-maybe... maybe tomorrow ther will be some left-overs. And... and maybe tomorrow there will be good sleep at night. She staggers away on her what felt like noodle-like unsteady and and shaky legs, shoulders slumped, lips curled, tears strained across her face..
Yes, I am talking about Divya, a small girl from Hyderabad.

Now she's sitting in a classroom, full of hopes, full of future, books in hands, stomach full of midday meal, that was given in school.

It's because of a local reporter, who clicked her photograph and MV Foundation (MVF)  that she is there now.
I'm glad people like them exist even.