A child’s dream is
the most intriguing one; it awes us with amazement and happiness. A Carefree
and an unrestrained world drives a child’s imagination to newer heights. The
fascination and the joy derived by looking at a dreaming child renders us speechless.
A child creates a series of Imaginative stories with just a toy in his hand; a
simple action figure with a restricted motion can give innumerable joy to a child
and his dreams takes over the scene.
My recent encounter with one of these
little ones really surprised me! A little child of class five when asked about
his dream replied that he wanted to be an army officer and that he desired to
serve his nation. This statement really touched me and made me realize that
children’s dreams are no longer restricted to a toy but their dreams and
aspirations are much greater and thoughtful than any other adult. Children are
indeed dazzling gems sent to earth. Their innocence adds charm to their playful
yet energetic character which reassures us that the nation which will be theirs
would be a successful one.
For a Nation to be a successful one, these
words are just lip smacking. Utopian dreams some say! And I too, to an extent
feel the same. A part of my consciousness keeps pricking me to believe the truth
that is prevailing in our ailing society though this feeling battles
against all odds of positivity present
in me. My other encounters with these
little ones would explain why I feel
so…
It was around 1.30 pm when I first met nine year old Rani . Her family consisted
of 6 with 3 siblings and herself being
the second youngest . Her family was one among the many living in a congested
lane . When spoken to her parents of facts such as low annual income , backward social stature and the disgusted life
they led came to light . Rani when asked
about her dreams replied that she dreamt of being a Doctor . But her
dreams I feel are like music falling on deaf ears . Looking at
the facts of her family’s income and the state of living, her dreams appeared to be a distant one . I do
hope that she would battle against all odds and would derive the joy she
deserves after the fulfillment of her dreams. Another instance which really
abashed me was when I met Kumar a 12
years old boy residing in the huts of
sumanahalli a slum in Bangalore . His dream was to be a Police officer. But
unfortunately, he was not attending
schools . When asked about the same , his parents replied –“Professions such as ours demand us
to shift our places frequently , and
under these circumstances it is
impossible to settle down in a single location and send our children to schools
” .
Manjunath a
seventh dropout said his interest towards his education just died off after seeing his struggling parents working hard to earn
meager wages which was just enough to fill their stomach the next day . Looking at his parents sufferings,
Manjunath sacrificed his dream to be a Civil service officer and started
working to assist his parents . Manjunath is now 20 years and still regrets to
have forsaken his untold dreams .
Parents of Abdul a
10th standard dropout exclaimed that his health
had worsened . He had a problem in his heart and his family had to move
out of city for his treatment . This move compelled him to quit his school and
that was the end of his dreams of becoming a successful businessman .
These encounters made me ask myself as to who would help these children and their
parents to realize their untold dreams..
I further asked this exact question which I
used to ponder over often, the people I know. I got a story from a friend of
mine which explained the seemingly plausible solution for the same . She
further narrated the story of her house maid and her daughter. It seemed that
the husband of the maid was a drunkard and would often spend the money saved by
his wife on drinking alcohol. The maid used to hide her salary and would
save the marginal amount she had . Her daughter was sent to work too .Then she realized the provision of RTE
and enrolled her child in a good school . One of the main reasons she enrolled
her child was the availability of ‘Mid
day meal scheme’. Now She could further
save her income and use it for a rainy day. Her awareness and decisive actions
further helped her child and herself to
combat against the existing situations . By prudently using available resources
, she could fulfill her obligations .
These untold dreams can be nurtured by
proper encouragement and monetary help by those who can afford and lend helping
hands. Also these downtrodden people should be made aware of the welfare
schemes the Government has formulated for them. Proper legal aid also will be
of great help in acquiring the facilities provided for their sake. Equality and
social justice play a pivotal role in the upliftment of these people and the
fulfillment of the dreams of their unfortunate children.
Even today social statuses play a very
huge role in the education of a child. Let us break all shackles and unite and
help the children to fulfill their untold dreams .After all , the nation is
theirs in the coming days. It is the collective responsibility of both civic bodies and governments to fulfill
the dreams of these children . Strong willed and well educated children will
definitely help our nation to realize
and unlock its limitless potential and our nation will rise to new heights
under their leadership and tireless endeavours. After all, today’s children are
tomorrow’s leaders and torch bearers.
- Sushanth Sharma B.S
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