INDIA: Children’s Day is celebrated each year on the birth anniversary of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on November 14.
Beneath the tough exterior of a youth struggling to fulfil his ambitions in this crude world is the soul of an innocent child who thrived on the blessings and education of his parents and teachers.
India celebrates Children’s Day to pay tribute to the Children’s, the legacy of their ancestors, who will perpetuate another generation of bright minds and ambitious futures.
The day is celebrated to pay homage to Nehru, who was fondly nicknamed “Chacha Nehru” and known for his fondness and penchant for children. He also established the Children’s Film Society of India in 1955 to create indigenous cinema exclusively for kids.
Before 1964, when Nehru’s birthday was chosen as the official Children’s Day celebration, India commemorated their children on November 20, the same day on which the United Nations observes it.
Following the demise of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, it was officially decided that his birth anniversary would mark the Children’s Day celebrations.
Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy as an advocate of children’s education gave birth to some of the most prominent academic institutions in India, including the establishment of AIIMS and the coveted IIT and IIM.
He once said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow.” “The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.”
Although Children’s Day is not officially designated as a national or gazetted holiday in India, it is informally celebrated in several educational institutions across the country in the form of competitions, music and dance performances, and commemorative gifts or food packets.
As per the Indian Constitution, the rights of children include the following:
1. The right to free and compulsory education for all children between 6 and 14.
2. The right to be protected against hazardous employment and abuse with proper education and childcare given to them.
3. The right to be protected from economic necessity to enter jobs unsafe or unsuited for their age or strength.
4. The right to freedom and dignity of being.
In the US, Children’s Day began in 1857 by the grace of Reverend Dr Charles Leonard. Even though Children’s Day is celebrated globally by most of the countries in the world on June 1, Universal Children’s Day takes place annually on November 20.
With the trauma of the pandemic and the inevitable lockdown, which adversely impacted the mental health and well-being of children who were locked up in their rooms instead of running free in the classrooms, our children have been highly neglected.
Now that schools have reopened, they look forward to celebrating this day with pomp and the usual fanfare as their teachers and parents shower them with love and blessings on this auspicious day.
So this Children’s Day, let us prioritise mental health, physical welfare, education, and the power of knowledge in turbulent times of crisis.
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