On Children's Day 14th Nov 2014

Each year on and after November 14th, India's Children's Day, the news is all about Jawaharlal Nehru. But is that really the significance of the day, is it only the blind celebration of a man whom we are told loved children, and of whose actions towards the betterment of the children of our country is not known.  Yes, of course, he was instrumental in setting up AIIMS and IITs, and yes, he was the first Prime Minister of the country, and yes, he was called Chacha.  But is there more?  If there is more that he has done for children then why have we not heard about it.

This children's day, I am thinking of all the children who do not have a roof over their heads, or who do not get a hot meal, who are sick, or abused, or have runaway.  And I ask, what am doing for children's day?  Am I going to do the usual? Post pictures of cute children, watch mutely while news channels talk about Jawaharlal Nehru? Am I going to do something different? Can I do something different?

Yes!  I have to.

So this Children's Day, I am going to celebrate in 2 ways. 

First, I am going to learn to laugh more, for no reason at all, to celebrate the child in me. I am going to laugh at the things I can not change. I am going to dance like the wind when I feel like it.  This is for me, the child in me, the child that has been forced to slumber, the child who can fly to the moon on an eyelash, and roll on a cloud.

Second, I am going to do something for a child who is in need.  Educate a child, feed a child, protect a child, any child in need. While I do this at different times in the year, I am using this occasion to pull out my cheque book to give a year of schooling to some children. And I hope that this will enable some children to learn, laugh, grow, play, & eat for a whole 365 days till I recommit to them again.

Is this enough? I truly don't know.
But is it a start? I really hope so.

So to all of you I say, Jawaharlal Nehru's photo may have been programmed in your brain, but you can erase that image if Children's Day and create your own.  I just did, it was simple.

Happy Children's Day!

May the child in us live, laugh, and jump out of the box of constraints we create!!
May we all help a child learn and play and grow!!