Children are little wonders. Their small pranks, cute smiles, random thoughts, innocent questions bring a wide smile to our faces. But today’s children have more exposure and greater access to information, which is why they think differently and come up with innovative ideas. Ahead of Children’s Day, we ask the community builders of tomorrow what changes they would like to bring in to make a difference to society and the world they live in.
For Gender equality
Unika Arora, 15, says that if there is one thing that she would want to establish in this world it would be gender equality.
“Gender equality is more than just a hashtag, it is a necessity,” says Arora adding that while growing up, be it at home, school or society, gender inequality is prevalent everywhere. This needs to be addressed. She has a good question to ask the world, “Why do we have to say a ‘female rapper’ or a ‘female wrestler’ and who decides that a wrestler is a male person?”
She also thinks that one’s clothing should not define how much respect the individual deserves. “It is a personal choice, a basic human right, belonging solely to the individual. What should stop is the objectification of women on screens. We need to rebuild the image of women and stop creating ‘item’ songs,” she points out.
People also need to stop blaming or humiliating women when they are assaulted. For Arora, gender equality means freedom and freedom means no fear.
Be A good human being
Jaanhvi Samtani, 14, says, “Indian students lack practical knowledge, which is why finding jobs is tough. Many a time, we end up studying lessons only in classrooms which can neither help us in the future nor make us good human beings. What is sad is that despite having educated people we still have poverty in our country because people are mostly interested in earning for themselves and not helping those in desperate need,” she says.
Samtani’s dream is to be a cardiologist and also be a good human being and bring about a positive change in society. “I want to become a doctor and make healthcare affordable for all,” she says.
Safety first
Ashmit Deshpande, 13, says that the government should take measures to keep everyone safe in schools, colleges, roads etc. “It is a small thing to ask for,” he says further mentioning that we need to have religious sensitivity and tolerance, and stop discriminating against others on the basis of caste and creed. “There is absolutely no need and place for this kind of indiscipline in a 21st century society.”
But that’s not all that Deshpande wants to change in society. “Along with safety, it is extremely necessary for people to protect the environment and keep it clean,” he says adding that he is aiming to become an IAS officer to implement the suggested changes.
Treat people as equals
Tanaya Bagewadi, 13, wants to eliminate discrimination. “We need to understand that there is a lot of discrimination in society even if we choose to ignore it,” she says adding, “Be it in school or at other places, we may discriminate against others through our actions or words, intentionally or unintentionally. This is not right. We need to grow into a better society.”
She wishes to see a positive change in society where people are not running a race or competing with each other, instead are helping, appreciating and embracing each other to reach new heights. “It is a sad scenario these days where individuals are not bothered about what the other person is going through and reluctant to extend emotional support to those who are in desperate need of it. We must help each other in times of difficulties, that is when we will truly become complete human beings,” she says.
She believes that change is inevitable and children of today are the future of tomorrow, so it is important to teach these values to young minds. They must not discriminate against others on the basis of gender, caste and culture, and instead treat people as equals.
Need More open spaces
With residential and commercial complexes cramming urban spaces there are hardly any open areas or gardens left. The ones which are left are getting smaller as the concrete jungle claims more territory! Rishabh Sharma, 12, a passionate footballer, says that if he was given the power to change anything in society, he would want to make more open grounds available for children’s play. “There is no garden in my apartment complex where I can play football and even at my school boys who are interested in playing football have no choice but to play on the basketball court which is not suitable to play the sport,” says Sharma.
He fears that the remaining open grounds will disappear in future. “So may be I will have to take up gaming when I grow up. At least being a gamer, I will not put myself in danger because of the increasing traffic on the roads, and I will still get to play my favourite sport.”
Keep our furry friends safe
Advait Salvi, 13, says that even though he is not an animal lover, he finds it heartbreaking when people throw stones at animals and hurt them just for fun. “There are so many videos and news reports that we come across every now and then that talk about humans inflicting pain on animals,” Salvi says.
He also points out there aren’t enough animal welfare centres in the city, which is why we see so many strays on the roads, who are uncared for and sick. “We need more welfare centres because they can provide shelter to the animals and keep them safe too,” says Salvi adding that it is important to provide strays with a home, and a few basic necessities such as food. “Animals need to be taken care of and if you cannot care for them, at least don’t hurt them,” he points out.
Get active
These days we see a lot of children glued to screens. But have we ever wondered why they spend more time in front of screens instead of playing outdoors? Lazarus Walke, 12, says that children living in urban areas are forced to spend time indoors because of the paucity of space and this has a negative impact on their health and fitness.
“Fitness is extremely important for your overall well being,” says Walke, who loves playing sports. “If we get used to spending time in front of screens and staying indoors, we will eventually become unhealthy and have numerous health issues in the future,” he shares adding that parents should be supportive of children who want to play outdoors and must make it compulsory for all children to play at least for an hour when they can make use of their energy and be fit.
