It is said that the greatest need of a person in life is the feeling of ‘being wanted’ and ‘being noticed’. The thirst for wontedness is an unquenchable thirst, found in every human being. It is particularly true in the case of children. They long to be wanted, shown affection and appreciated. Children’s Day celebrated all over India on 14th November every year is an attempt in this regard.
14th Nov. is celebrated all over India every year as Children’s Day in loving memory of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of our country. He was a true friend of children. He profoundly loved them and kept them dear to his heart. Therefore children called him ‘Chacha Nehru’.
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In the Indian context ‘Chacha’ stands next to one’s father and symbolises traits of affection, love and concern. Despite his hectic life as Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru found time to be with children. It is said that if anything Nehru liked most in his life, it is the time he spent with little children.
Therefore, as a tribute to this lover of children the nation started the custom of celebrating his birth anniversary I as Children’s Day, soon after his death in 1964. The nation could pay no better tribute to our immortal leader for whom children were ‘God incarnate’ and ‘divinity in flesh’.
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The celebration of Children’s day teaches us several important values. It is a call to protect our little ones from all harm and to save them from the negative impact of modernisation, urbanisation, industrialisation, commercialisation and gross materialism.
Today children are thrown open to evils of drug, sex, alcohol, hard labour, abuse and violence. Thousands of little children in our country are made to slog for long hours, for little pay. Hundreds are yet to see the light of modern education. Therefore, it is a call to put an end to various forms of child abuse that are taking place in our land. Such a day reminds us of the inestimable worth of those little angels.
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They are the valuable asset of our nation, the future of our land, and the hope of tomorrow. The day also invites us to acquire the fine qualities that characterise children such as, simplicity, purity of heart and mind, innocence a sense of affection and attachment, etc.
Children constitute the greatest asset of a nation. A nation prospers or progresses to the extent it is able to develop the hidden potential lying untapped in her children. In a country like India, where children constitute a good percentage of the population, we need to give much more attention to their all-round development. A day like Children’s Day is a right step in this direction. The day invites all of us to give children their due-love, affection and opportunities for development.