Children’s Day is here

Nazeer Waris

We will be celebrating yet another Children's Day on Tuesday (November 14). This year, it coincides with the Deepawali, the festival of lights, thus adding to our joy.

November 14 is the birthday of our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Since 1947, this was marked for meetings and games for children.

But it was officially declared as India's Children's Day ten years later. Pandit Nehru was very fond of children and would often advise the people around to focus on providing opportunities for children in order to develop their talents and exploit their potential to groom leaders.

He was lovingly called 'Chacha Nehru'. A person very close to Nehru was M. O. Mathai, his private secretary. A quote from his book My days with Nehru will ably illustrate Nehru's thought about kids.

He writes: "He (Nehru) was convinced that no amount of money spent on children and their mother was too much and that it was a sound investment for the future,".

Children’s Day is an occasion for us to create awareness about the rights, care and education for children. This can be conveyed through speeches, debates, quiz, painting competitions and performance of plays etc in schools.

World Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20 all across the world. However, several countries have designated other days as the national Children’s Day.

It was on November 20 that 1959 that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the child. Three decades later on November 20, 1989 the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration and the Convention on Children’s rights.

Apart from celebrating Children’s Day in schools or colleges, we, as a citizen, can bring a difference into the lives of poor children. We can donate food, clothes, books, or anything that brings a smile to their faces and show our gratitude towards them.

Parties & celebrations happen all the time, but by contributing even a little towards their necessities, we can make a big difference.

What are the rights of a child?

According to the Constitution of India, the rights of children include:

• Right to get free & compulsory elementary education for all children in the 6-14 year age group
• Protection from any hazardous employment or any type of abuse.
• Right to get proper childhood care & education
• Right to be protected from fulfilling any type of economic requirements by performing occupations unsuited to their age or strength
• Right to get fair & equal opportunities for an overall development
• Right to freedom & dignity and complete protection against exploitation