By Manisha Chachra:
Chintu runs barefoot on the streets of old Delhi to escape from the long hands of law. An apple of his mother’s eye, Chintu decided to resort to petty thievery when he saw his parents bickering at each other to make both the ends meet. To put it in his parents’ words the sole obstacle to their healthy survival was ‘the adopted chintu’. The adopted Chintu utilized his childlike mindset to meet the demands of his family.
The saga of such juvenile cases in India is ceaseless. Like Chintu there are many others Pinto, Shinto who are a victim of broken homes and families. Marriage as a social institution might find a universal social acceptance but many dimensions of this very institution need to be drawn aptly. The squabbling among parents’ is usual these days and not to negate the scrap becomes an ego problem on both the sides. These two players forget that they have a world beyond their battle and end up devouring the world around them. It wouldn’t be a lie if I say ‘sex without love is quite prevalent in India’ and this not so sugar-coated truth is partially responsible for why children suffer in India. For if, it had been the case of love, understanding would definitely have crept in between both the players.
Naïve children like Chintu who at such a fragile age should touch the world of words are engrossed in childish money-making strategies. They are not aware about the couplets of kabir or the plays of Shakespeare, for they only know the language of knife to scare people so as to eke out a livelihood. The saddening truth is that the children in India thriving below poverty line are either involved in child labor or in juvenile crimes. And both child labor and juvenile delinquency continues to remain a curse on Indian society. Despite of the existence of a plethora of government institutions and schools children live a life of rag pickers, criminals and laborers.
Now the question is what can be our role as a citizen to stop such cases?
Well. The answer is very simple but difficult to apply. Poverty is very much related to illiteracy in India. People in rural areas know the art of manufacturing children very well but are completely blank when it comes to the nourishment of the same children. People in rural areas must be educated and schemes like Sarv shiksha abhiyan must work
Often juvenile delinquents are a result of peer pressure around them. This again highlights the need for parents to continuously keep a vigilant eye on their children and their company. Here a popular adage ‘Man is known by the company he keeps’ comes into play. Moral education should be provided in schools so that children are enlightened by the righteous lessons of Vivekananda.
Another solution can be to avoid the labeling of children like chintu as ‘criminals’. A research elucidates that labeling such children can result into causing more offences and crimes. Juvenile delinquency can be a psychological disorder as well; therefore, such children must be given proper counseling so that they can draw a wise picture of the world.
As one can see the main factor contributing towards juvenile crimes are mainly external in nature. These external stimulants can be controlled by the stringent laws and a sturdy constitutional framework. Such children shouldn’t be given harsh and cruel punishments rather they should be dealt calmly and softly. They should be given moral education so that their conscience can discover the conflict between the real and virtual self. The government needs to ponder that the schemes which are implemented to eradicate poverty aren’t decaying on paper. There should be a monitoring committee which can patrol whether the policies are actually executed or not.
It is note for you ‘reader’ that our duty isn’t just to ‘like or share’ this article but work together for combat of juvenile cases which will further lower down the criminal rates in India. A child whether a born or an unborn one deserve rights, a right to a live a fulfilled life for which both the state and society has a role to play.
Image courtesy:Â https://19idealogus.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/stop-juvenile-crimes-in-india/