CHILDREN ARE THE WEALTH OF THE NATION; Essay

 CHILDREN ARE THE WEALTH OF THE NATION

 ‘Train ups a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart form it’ says the Old Testament. Stevenson said ‘A child should always say what’s true’. But is the modem child trained in a way that he would say what’s true? Impressions of childhood extend to the whole life.

If the impressions are good the child will be wealth of the nation. Poverty and economic set back do not always come in the way of moral progress. Problems did not deter shepherd Abraham from becoming the President of United States of America. Hardships did not stop shepherdess Jane from becoming the commander of the French army to defeat England. The former was assassinated; the latter was burnt at the stake. But the two children grew to be the saviours of their nations. They were the real wealth the USA and France are proud of even to-day.

Children build the nation. They are the real asset of the nation. This asset must not be thrown out to pick crumbs. One can see a number of children in the age group 5-10 serving in wayside hotels for a petty sum. They would serve tea and edibles to the customers. But they have no share in what they serve. Late in the evening they would be paid from Rs. 2/- to Rs. 5/- for a day’s work. What wealth are these children expected to be. They become a liability.

Childhood is the blooming period of man. The child should have all the facilities of childhood. It is a delicate age. He should have source of recreation and enjoyment, healthy food, good clothes to wear. Then and then only he would develop and grow as a useful citizen for the nation. A half clad, ill fed child will not gain the potentialities to be the real wealth of the nation.

It is rather sad that many people in backward countries have a large number of children. They cannot maintain them well. Many die in their childhood. Many of these grow as criminals since their childhood. When they are sent to jail they become hardcore criminals. They become smugglers and drugtrafickers who may betray the nation. Let us make efforts that children remain the wealth of our nation.