The Child is Father of The Man

“The Child is father of the man”

I Hope you all will be familiar with this line from the famous poet William Wordsworth.
It is actually true. What a man becomes depends on the habits he develops and the environment he is provided with in his formative years, i.e. when he was a child. So it shows how an adult behaves, totally reflects the kind of childhood he/she had.

Childhood is the most beautiful and the most important part of a person’s life. It actually acts as the foundation for the future of the person, be it beautiful or ugly, all depends on his/her childhood. It is not only the particular individual’s future but also the future of the entire nation to which they belong to. So it is of utmost importance, to give a child a safe, secure and happy childhood. It is their right and we the adults have the responsibility of making sure that no child is denied the basic rights that he/she is entitled to.

Rights, a child’s rights, a question that would arouse the curiosity of many. Who exactly can be called a child and what exactly are these rights. A ‘child’ is a person below the age of 18, and the rights he is entitled to are like right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education, health care and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child's civil rights, and freedom from discrimination on the basis of the child's race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability, color, ethnicity, or other characteristics. It also includes, allowing children the capacity for autonomous action to the enforcement of children being physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse and rights to care and nurturing.

These are just basic and simple rights that a child has. But now a day’s what we see is denial of these to them, be the child from any strata of the society, and it is really painful and at the same time shameful that we as adults are sitting idle and not doing much about it.

Open any newspaper, and there won’t be one day without news reading a child was molested by his uncle in this place or child was abused by his step-mom in that place, and many such things. I sometimes feel really scared to open the newspaper for the same reason, there will not be anything good. All it will be full of atrocities of the man, and the most shameful being that on the children. Such men can’t be called as human that is because no human heart will feel like causing harm to such a beautiful, delicate and precious gift like a child.

At an age where children should study, play and be carefree, many of them are engaged in or better say forcefully pushed to work because of their circumstances. And, the environment they get at their place of work will be beyond the limits of inhumanity, just for a meager sum of money so that they can at least have one morsel of food for them and their families. They toil, without complaining but still they are treated worse than any street animal at the places where they work. Is this their age to work??? Then when will they play and learn??? How will they have a bright future??? Here they are being denied with their basic rights to healthy food, to study, healthcare facilities. Are we benefiting in any way??? NO. Are we going to be affected by this??? YES. That is because a child is the future of a nation, and to have a healthy and progressive nation each and every child should have the basic education, and all the healthcare facilities.

You might be thinking this is only for the poor children, they are helpless and in need of our help. But that is not the truth. Each and every child these days needs at most care and security. Because the society is full of hawks and vultures who are keeping an eye and waiting for an opportunity to pounce on them and devour their prey, our children. This is the reason why we are frequently hearing about so many molestation and abuses happening on children these days. Such people use children to satisfy their sexual desires and what not, but in turn ruining the entire childhood of that poor child who pays the price for his/her entire life.

It is an earnest plea; please keep your children safe. Not only yours, but others too. It is our duty. We are the guardians. We have to give them a good environment to nurture with good values, safe surroundings, satisfying their basic need. Do not deny any child of his or her rights.
A child is one of the most beautiful and innocent creations of almighty cherish their presence and take care so that they do not perish.