EVERY CHILD IS PRECIOUS

It was just another normal day when everyone went about doing things according to daily routine. As the clock struck three, Sunidhi looked at it and headed to the kitchen to do her routine work. Scooby ran to the door as the doorbell was ringing .It was Swadheenta unexpectedly at the doorbell. Sunidhi opened the door and wondered to see her daughter after a very long time as she studied in Jammu University. Swadheenta surprisingly asked her a question,” How are you here my doll?” Swadheenta managed a faint smile and said,” I was missing you all, so I came here.’’

                           Swadheenta went straight to her room, put her bag on the table and sat down quietly in the armchair near the bed. What’s the matter? Is something bothering you?” said Sunidhi in a concerned voice, as she came in and sat down on the edge of the bed. In the meanwhile Swadheenta’s younger brother Om came back from his school and got surprised to see his sister and hugged her. He looked at her thoughtfully and said,” I am really lucky to be studying in a good school. Mom, dad and my teachers help me learn more and more each day. What do I dream of doing in future?”

Swadheenta held his hand and smiled, “Of course, we want you to do well.” He asked “Well, today we had a special assembly in school to spread awareness against child labour. You know, I along with mom were so happy to read about Kailash Satyarthi being conferred the Nobel peace prize on 10 December, 2014 along with Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan.’’ It seemed that Swadheenta felt relaxed after listening this. But still it seemed that something was disturbing her.

                Om asked,” Mom, today, as a part of the programme, we were shown the recording of Kailash Satyarthi’s speech when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize,”

Swadheenta added, “In 1980, he gave up his career as a lecturer in a college in Bhopal and became the Secretary General for the Bonded Labour Liberation Front.’’

“OK. He has been involved in social work for years,’’ replied Om.

                     Sunidhi continued,” He has been an activist against child labour and has always fought for children’s rights. He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980.’’ All these words seemed heaven for Swadheenta. Sunidhi asked Swadheenta to tell what was going in her mind but Swadheenta again refused to tell. Om asked that he believe that Kailash Satyarthi gave a wonderful speech that we heard today. Sunidhi asked Om to tell the important highlights of his speech. Om replied,’’ Mom, Kailash Satyarthi said, ‘I represent here the sound of silence. The cry of innocence ….. I have come to share the voices and dreams of our children.’ Kailash Satyarthi also said that twenty years ago, in the foothills of the Himalayas, he met a small skinny boy who asked him if the world was so poor that it could not give him a toy and a book. In the age of rapid globalization, there is lack of compassion. The children who stitch footballs have never played with one, children who harvest cocoa, do not know the taste of chocolate. Satyarthi said that the single aim of his life is that every child should be free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat, sleep, see daylight, free to laugh and cry free to play, free to play, free to go to learn, free to go to school and free to dream. They all belong to us.”

Listening to all this, Swadheenta started crying. Sunidhi asked that why is she crying? Then she asked,” I in Jammu, daily visited Pulwama in my free time to teach the children of that area who were not even getting the basic amenity of life i.e. Education. All those students belonged to conservative Muslim families who think that getting education is of no use but their children wanted to do something great and extraordinary in their life by acquiring knowledge. One day I was on a trip with my friends and there in an ice cream parlor, I met a boy who was working there as an earner and when I along with my friends asked him that what is his aim of life? He answered that he want to become a Pilot but he was not getting education. Then my mind thought that why not to give education to such children. From that day I started teaching there. My main motive was to keep the children away from getting involved in terrorist activities because that area is very prone to terror funding activities and the children get their brain drained by keeping them against their own nation. I regularly visit Pulwama and teach those children rather I would say keen learners. There were a few refugees also who were Kashmiri Pandits and were staying there. (Om was looking Swadheenta with shocking eyes) But one day, I was teaching my students and suddenly a few people passed over there with angered eyes and then one of the leaders of that area came to know that I was trying to teach their children. Then next day Taimur Khan, (local leader) met me and asked me to stop teaching their children as it was against their principles but I ignored and continue teaching and one of the Doctor of nearby area Mohd. Akram supported me a lot because he knows the value of education. On Wednesday, I received a call from an unknown number when I was in my hostel. The call was about killing me if I would not stop teaching to the students. I shared my problem with my best friend Hitesh and he asked me that he will go Pulwama with me tomorrow.

Mom questioned what happened after this? (Swadheenta was still crying and Om was consoling her). Swadheenta replied,” On Thursday after class I and Hitesh went to Pulwama to teach students with full passion, zeal and strength. We both were teaching and in a meanwhile the mob of hectors came there and held me at a gun point. Hitesh was trying to secure me. One of those goons hit Hitesh but somehow he secured himself and then I asked him to call Dr. Akram in our code language. Dr. Mohd reached the place along with local police. Police saved me and Hitesh from the hectors. When reached university, I again received an ultimatum of killing. This time I got afraid and decided to come home back. Then my friends dropped me at the airport and I came here.”

             After knowing the whole story, Sunidhi a got upset and worried and she called Mr. Jagdish home and when he came home, he was surprised to see his daughter Swadheenta. Then mom narrated whole story to father. He got a little bit worried and then he appreciated Swadheenta for such a noble cause and encouraged her to continue her service towards nation and he decided to go to Jammu with her. Next day both of them went Jammu University. There they met Swadheenta’s Mathematics Professor Nirbhai Singh. But Mr. Singh already knew about the whole incident as Hitesh told him. He asked that he is proud of Swadheenta but now she should stop teaching at Pulwama as it is a threat to her life. After having conversation with Professor Singh, Mr. Jagdish agreed with his thought. After that day, Swadheenta started living a normal life. Two weeks passed and then one day she met her student from Pulwama. He urged to help her in teaching as she was their only hope who could construct their future. Swadheenta thought a lot and finally she decided to teach the students again as her inner spirit did not allowed her to refuse. Parents of Kashmiri Pandit students thanked her a lot for her gesture. But unfortunately this she was attacked by the goons and the leader Taimur Khan again. They hit her with a rod but it was her fortune that there was no internal injury although she was bleeding and she ran from the spot. She called Hitesh for help.  Kashmiri Pandits called military officers and they beat the proudy and robust leader and send him and his goons to jail for 5 years and filed a very heavy fine. Then officers searched her and Hitesh and appreciated her velour. She was not in her senses and was only saying “Every child is precious, don’t destroy their dreams…..!!!!” and she was hospitalized. After a few days, she got fully fine. Swadheenta set a benchmark by showing her best service towards the future of nation. Indian Government felicitated her for her great work. She in her speech at the Parliament house said that every child is precious. No one has right to grab his/ her dreams. She desired that every young person of our nation should work like Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai and then no one could even dare to harm any child.

Now moral is left on the readers……………. But tell me (author) Should any other adult like Swadheenta try to serve the nation by doing such activities?