What is it to be a child in India?
A child is there in everyone and I see no child here.
Children are bhagwan ka roop here and I see no god.
Children are pure like milk and I see only pollution.
Child is me and I can’t see myself in the mirror.
What is it to be a child?
What is it to be a child in India?
A child born with a surname is a god’s gift and without that it’s a mere thing, consuming already running short of space on this earth, consuming already rarely available oxygen. However, child here is also the most awaited gift for some, and also a mistake no one is ready to accept. A child is a child if he is born rich…he is a child that world would know, but a child is a burden if he born poor.
Biologically a child is a human being in the age of 1-12 yrs. (my assumption) but here in India it starts at the same age and may extend up to 24 yrs of age or may end at 5. For a parent, a child will always remain a child till their last breath. Therefore, the term CHILD to me is a very relative term… it is dependent on the parents… there is no child without parents… No child without mother.
So the age group of children in India is not decided by the doctors or the psychologists… it is decided by the parents.
Being a child in India is — chocolate, toffees, balloons, alloo puri halwa, rajma chawal, gol gappee, mangoes, chatni, churan…and also the definition of child varies demographically too in India. At some point of time I feel that there is a child in everyone of us and India is a place where one can experience it almost at every stage of life (exceptions are always there). The mazza advertisement is such a good example of being a child in India – why to grow up was the question which shows one dimension of what it is to be a child in India. Child in India is also a resource for organs for someone, amusement for others and workforce for many entrepreneurs of THE GREAT INDIAN economy. Cut into pieces for some bloody organs for a rich man is sometimes is a destiny of a child in India.
om bhoor bhawa swaha… om jai jagdeesh hare… vishnu ji, bharma ji, shivji be good, do nice, bhagwan se daro, pap mat karo, sabki sewa karo — this is being a child in India if u have grandparents.. cheen ke kha harami, chori kar suar (pig), bheek mang sale — this is also being a child in India if u have a GODFATHER .
A child is a child — a child is not a child
A child in India is a sahara for the grandparents in their rest of the life.
A child is the reason for separating parents to stay together their whole life (fighting whole life)… which might not be true these days.
A child is a God’s angel
A child is a reason for a drunkard father to quit alcohol
A child is expected to clear the debts of the father
A child is suppose to earn for the family from the day she can learns to count money
A child is a reason for a socially expelled mother
A child is a jamoora in india
A child is a chor badmash –jeb katra in india
A child is a child—- a child is not a child
Some children are born to live and some are born to die in India. But a child will always be a child with pure emotions and innocence. Born with no memories and dies with nothing; to be born again with a new face, new family. A child in India sees the world which no one else could see. I’m not sure if God is present in every human being but there is a child in every one.
What is it to be a Child in India?
Contributed by Astha Nagpal ,Student of Psychology
abhishek.bindal
13 Jul, 2010
a very beautiful piece of writing…
Astha
13 Jul, 2010
This is a pretty long write up!
But i shall expect one time read! I’m sure it’ll make you contemplate over little things which we just take for granted!!!!
thank you..!
abhishek.bindal
13 Jul, 2010
this is something really very true…
it should ignite the minds of the culprits…
abhishek.bindal
13 Jul, 2010
child is adventurer…
A child is a creater….
A child is a pure form of human…
Save the child in u…. Accept him…
harry
13 Jul, 2010
firstly want to complimnt astha for such nice thoughts…..
“child”..if u want to look fr real meaning of this word visit the rural india n nowadays its more frequent in NCR region.CHILD LABOUR, this is problem f greatest concerns..3-4 yrs children selling stuff on railway pltfrm , traffic lights………is he child n if yes what is he doing at tht place….
india is a superpower but whr’s the superiority gone when question comes to the future of child….n this would remain aN unanswered question..WHO IS A CHILD?
harry
13 Jul, 2010
BUT HOW TO GIVE THAT STATUS TO A CHILD OF A POOR MAN..how is he adventurous,creater??
Sana Naqvi
13 Jul, 2010
wonderful piece astha, touching & true to every word!
Astha
13 Jul, 2010
Hey Sana, thank you !
Keep pouring in your thoughts too!
sanchit
14 Jul, 2010
@astha di….i wud like to share da treat of gud grades…..
Astha
14 Jul, 2010
@ Harry: I can understand your desire of utopia but thats the beauty i have tried to explore in the article !
A child is a child – a child is not a child!
Look back to the article, you might find the subtle acceptance of the nature which live in!
sanchit
14 Jul, 2010
n yeah wonderful writing….n gud topic as well
Rajesh Madnani
15 Jul, 2010
A Heart Touching Piece of Writing…..Truely Depicting the Plight & Pain of the Poor Children in India…..How It is a Curse to be Born in a Poor Family…..What all he/she has to face & what all he/she is deprived of……My Heartfelt wishes to you for acknowledging the issue & for spreading the awareness of the same in the society…..!!!
amit dhawan
15 Jul, 2010
hi its aa very god thougt;;;
Dinesh Kumar
15 Jul, 2010
nicly said…bachpan toh ek h.
Astha
15 Jul, 2010
Thanks Rajesh, Amit, Dinesh!
MEGHA
15 Jul, 2010
very well said!!!!!
i ttly agree a child brn in a poor family is the 1 born to suffer.
n its extrmlyyyy disgrcfull…..
ranjay
17 Jul, 2010
u r a perfect and one of the great writer in my point of view………and u will be one of the best in future if u want to be…………no one can stop u …..so, try and be .one of the best..
great thanks and blessings to u.
Prashant
17 Jul, 2010
Child is a Face of God.
Whose never like child they are not a person.
Astha
17 Jul, 2010
I appreciate your concern but through my article i have not tried to distinguish the urban and pOOr child! I am just portraying What it can be to be a child in India! If you stop criticizing the politics and the pain involved and just locate ourselves in each of the Line by being the ‘me’ or seeing it in ‘other’ in its complete subjectivity I guess that would help in the natural healing of one’s own mind and we might all will make effort to make children around us Happie & Smiling!!!!!!!!!!!
Aditya Nath Jha
17 Jul, 2010
No doubt at all , a well framed piece of writing .And it clearly portrays your urge to bridge the gaps b/w a poor and rich child.But the responsibility of this site members is to find some ways, how?Please try to device some ways.I think :
1.’No more Child labour’ and this time we should mean it.
2.Being born with silver spoon is a blessing ,but each established personnel needs to be aware of his/her obligations towards the society.If possible run NGOs at personal level therby involving your friends and relatives in it.
3.Don’t promote begging: I request don’t give your money to a beggar especially children until he/she is physically handicapped.And if you really want to contribute give your used clothes ,books to some child orphanages.
There can be some more ways,lets think a bit.
Yajur Kochhar
17 Jul, 2010
nicely written
Astha
17 Jul, 2010
Thank you for the way you managed to bring up the ways be can build a better world around us!
Astha
17 Jul, 2010
Hey thank you for the Blessings
I hope to bring in some more the concerned issues in the most subtle way I could!
Be the Child in you……….
Astha
17 Jul, 2010
yeah! I too think so….!!
So let the child in you cherish always!
abhishek.bindal
18 Jul, 2010
This according to me is the best piece of written work by a student..
kudos…
the instances are true in every sense..