[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t the peak of 18th century and the era that followed, there were times when the first born child was sacrificed in the name of God in the river Ganges a newly or born child was usually chosen to be either brought up or killed depending on its gender. What were children to them? The reasons for which the deeds done were never justified, those were the dark days. We look back at them in despise and label them as one among many evil practices. Decades have passed since then we cannot but lament over the fact that many souls have been rudelessly terminated in ignorance which in turn unstablized the existence. We never realize until today that those faithful souls could be or probably be the agents of change that we always wanted to see. Few years back, there was a big argument between former P.M, Morarji Desai and blessed Mother Theresa on the issue based on family planning. A controversy without result but it remained a fine probe into the minds of many even today uniqueness takes over the reality of life. No child is born by chance for every soul is a precious being and has the purpose equivalent to all. Sadly, the worst incarnated form today is the Abortion which has taken a new phrase altogether. It is no longer a problem to the solution but more of a problem to further problems. Nevertheless, we strive on and work for the better.
Children’s Day is on and about. What makes this day so special is what makes us a precious being. Apparently, it took many years to remember the children once in a year for the schedules of life even today has its own excuses to cover our negligence’s. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru initiated this auspicious day because he realized the purity of purpose, a quality of life in a child/the children. The Rose may mean nothing as compared to what the child could give but definitely, Nehru saw the truth behind it that had profoundly impressed him. A child represents a budding rose that will beautify the garden of life. It can ultimately turn into a wild one unless it is cared for and looked after.
I believe, this celebration is not only of the living children but for the dead as well, controversial indeed but the fact is that they want for the purity and innocence of the little children remains the same. To be righteous, one needs to be like little children, “Let the little children come to me; unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.” As it is rightly said that the children come through us but not from us. So, it is our duty to look after their well being for they represent the future. Karlil Gibran tells us, “Your children are not your children. They are sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you; and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow; which you cannot visit. You may strive to be like them but seek not to make them like you; for life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the Archer’s hand be for gladness; for even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.”
A child is the incarnation of love, a manifestation of maturity that it becomes. The incarnated love can or grows to become what the world has ever been in want. The children indeed hold the wealth and treasure of our present and future and it makes us rich in them and with them. This day’s nostalgy takes us to the timeless hour of love for the children and we continue hoping for the world that really has the quality of a child, for the only remedy to better future is its quality. It, at the same time, reminds us that we were children, we are with the childhood of the past and we will or should always have them hence. May God bless them all and I wish you all a very Happy Children’s Day.
