WHY CELEBRATE CHILDREN'S DAY?

                                                              - By MILAN K SINHA

Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa said,"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children". Please find to enjoy what some other great personalities of the world had felt and expressed about children :

1. Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. - Khalil Gibran 
2. The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop. - Mark Twain 
3. If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.- Mahatma Gandhi
4. Children are our most valuable resource.- Herbert Hoover 

 This year too on the eve of Nehru's birthday on 14th November, Children's Day was also celebrated. Routine functions were organised on this day where all sorts of promises for the welfare of our children were made (and  possibly forgotten too) by the ruling political class and their followers- the officials of related departments.Some schools and some NGOs too organised functions on this occasion and reiterated their concern for the children which was covered by newspapers as per the available space for such normal activities. In our country, it doesn't make a news if poor and destitute children are found working in roadside tea shops, hotels, dhabas or selling gutkha, cigarettes etc. in running trains/buses or doing household jobs for  high ups of our society in their Gareebkhanas or  picking up waste foods outside the wedding premises or begging in front of a temple, mosque etc. Yes, we are  one of the fastest growing economies of the world and  every one in the Govt. is busy improving the prospects of GDP growth. No doubt, the following basic facts related to our children will be seen later on by them, if time permits:

• 8.8 lac children die every year, more than 100 deaths per hour in India.
• One in every three malnourished children in the world live in India.
• The IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) in many states is still more than 50 per thousand for children upto the age of 5 years where as it should be at least below 30 per thousand.
• About 50% of all childhood deaths are attributed to malnutrition. 
• 26% of the world's childhood vaccine preventable deaths take place in the country.
• Anaemia affects 74% of children under the age of three.
• As high as 44% children under five years are underweight.
• Malnutrition in early childhood does have serious long term consequences because it impedes development of vital life organs.
• Majority of these children hail from the marginalised and poorest communities such as tribals etc. where literacy is quite low but poverty is  quite high.
• In Jan'12, the Indian PM said that despite impressive GDP growth,the level of under nutrition was unacceptably high.
• School drop out percentage is still  more than 40%.
• The crime against children is on the rise in our country.

 I await your reaction on the subject.Will meet again with Open Mind.All the Best.