'Children's Day has lost its importance.'
'There is no celebration, no excitement, no enthusiasm and no eagerness.'
Teesta Karkera, 13, of Thakur Public School, Kandivali (East), Mumbai tells us why Children's Day isn't celebrated the way it used to be.
Photograph: Asian Development Bank/Creative Commons
After Jawaharlal Nehru's death in 1964, the country decided to celebrate Children's Day or Baal Divas on the birth anniversary of the great leader, i.e November 14.
Nehru, fondly referred to as Chacha Nehru dedicated a large portion of his life to the welfare of children across the nation.
In older times or in the time of our parents' generation, Children's Day was no less than a birthday.
It was a day that was widely celebrated by children all around the world.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Rajesh Karkera
Children, in those days, used to wait eagerly for this day to arrive. They thought of it as a day which was reserved only for them.
A day when they would get gifts and chocolates. A day when they could play all the time and had no pressure to study. A day when they could demand anything they desired.
But today, Children's Day has lost its importance.
Earlier, it used to be celebrated in schools on a grand scale, but now-a-days it seldom happens.
There is no celebration, no excitement, no enthusiasm and no eagerness.
In fact, an average child's mind today is as stressful as an adult. We see small children going for classes instead of playing around with friends.
Children have started losing their innocence. They just want to make sure that nobody thinks of them as a CHILD.
Instead of being a phase of life, growing up has become a race in which every child aspires to conquer first position.
All of us must understand that childhood is one of the best gifts life can give us and we must utilise it as long as we can.
We must bring some kind of madness to our boring, civilised and modern life and enjoy this Children's Day as much as we can!
In every adult is a child that wants to play and it should always remain that way.
On the occasion of Children's Day, today, here's a poem I wrote:
Children's Day they say,
Was once something awaited,
Something beyond a birthday,
But today; a bit outdated.
Children act like adults,
Innocence hiding its face,
A question to each one of you,
"Why this growing-up race"?
Everyone wants to be COOL,
Hiding their true identity,
Not letting it show up,
But ask your own self,
"Have I really grown up"?
They say children these days,
Don't have time to be playful,
But have you ever asked yourself,
"Can time be more helpful"?
Let's prove these statements wrong,
Let us all get together today,
And sing a happy song.
Why don't you share YOUR favourite childhood pic?
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