When is Children’s Day celebrated?
Children’s Day is celebrated each year on the birth anniversary of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, which is on November 14.
Why do people celebrate Children’s Day?
People celebrate Children’s Day every year as a tribute to Nehru. Nehru, fondly called ‘Chacha Nehru’ was born on November 14, 1889. He was known for his affection for kids. He also established the Children’s Film Society India in 1955 to create indigenous cinema exclusively for kids.
Who called Nehru “Chacha ji”?
There is no documented reason for Nehru being called ‘chachaji’. However, it is said that his love for children was a major reason behind the coinage of this term. Another popular version is that Nehru was very close to Mahatma Gandhi, whom he considered his elder brother. While Gandhi was known as ‘Bapu’, Nehru came to be known as ‘chacha ji’.
How was Children’s Day started?
Before 1964, India celebrated Children’s Day on November 20 (the United Nations observes it on this day). However, after the death of Pandit Nehru in 1964, it was decided that his birthday be celebrated as Children’s Day.
Jawaharlal Nehru and children
Jawaharlal Nehru had immense hope and confidence in the children of India because they “can play together without thinking of differences”. He established the Children’s Film Society India so that Indian children could see themselves represented. He enabled the establishment of some very prominent educational institutions in India.
It was his vision that led to the establishment of AIIMS for medicine, the IITs for engineering, and the IIMs for management studies. Nehru’s legacy continues to educate the children of India. He is known to have said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.”
This philosophy is expressed in the letters written by him to Indira Gandhi, his daughter when she was a young girl. The letters were also published as books. Letters from a Father to His Daughter (1929) and Glimpses of World History (1934) have gained fame as children’s non-fiction. It is because, as Deepa Agarwal writes, “any child can respond to their warm, affectionate tone and his lucid and spontaneous style. The wealth of information woven into them and his unique approach to historical facts is an added bonus… communicating humanist values“.
Is Children’s Day a holiday?
This day is not a gazetted holiday. Children have a lot of fun activities on this day, ranging from wonderful morning assemblies to dance parties. Children are the center of attraction during this day and many schools throw a party on this day to make children feel special.
What are the rights of a child?
According to the Constitution of India, the rights of children include:
- Right to be protected from any hazardous employment
- The right to early childhood care and education
- Right to equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner
- Right to freedom and dignity and guaranteed protection of childhood and youth against exploitation
- The right to free and compulsory elementary education for all children in the 6-14 years age group
- Right to be protected from the economic necessity to enter occupations unsuited to their age or strength
- Right to be protected from abuse
