Parents to Give More Time and Support to their Children

No doubt, children and the young are lured by expensive gifts. Many parents don’t give attention and time to their children. They try to compensate this lapse by bribing them with rich gifts. Perhaps they don’t know that there can be no substitute for love. Love is the first and foremost thing that binds children with their parents. Neglecting and uncaring parents spoil their children. Neglected children go astray like rudderless ships. Constant love and care help to mould their personality. They grow mentally, physically and spiritually.

A secure home atmosphere plays a key role in life. Adolescence is a very critical age in man’s life. An adolescent is like a calf. He yearns for love of his parents. If he is left uncared, he looks towards other means of sensual gratifications. He loses interest in life. He develops into a wild and perverted personality. He takes to smoking and falls in a bad company. Parents beware! If you are not giving proper attention to your children you are gradually losing them. They need your guidance, help and care. Satisfy these basic emotional needs of your children. They will grow into responsible and responsive human beings. Take care of them. They will certainly take care of you when you grow old.

Problem of Slums in Our Cities

In the last century, we saw many new towns and cities coming up in every country. The process of urbanization went on at a very fast pace. Millions of people migrated to towns and cities from villages. This migration of population gave birth to many unplanned settlements. They rose up as slums. In India every big city has almost one third of its population living in slums. Millions of people are living in subhuman conditions in slums. They don’t have even basic civic facilities. They use open spaces near them as public latrines. Nor do they get pure potable water. Narrow lanes and unplanned houses have no provision for fresh air and sunlight. There is no privacy among the inhabitants.

Life in slums becomes unbearable during the rainy season. Rains and floods make them living hells. Tropical diseases like malaria, fever and dehydration take a heavy toll of human lives, particularly, of children. Unfortunately, slums are mushrooming unabated. Municipal corporations have closed their eyes towards their problems. Politicians visit them only once in five years nears the elections. No one cares to make these little hells suitable for human habitation.

Ragging in Educational Institutions

 Ragging in schools and colleges in fast getting acceptability and even respectability. It has become a customary practice on the campus. In Engineering and Medical colleges, this evil practice is getting popular day by day. This disease is no more confined to colleges and universities. In so many public schools, ragging sessions are gaining a new respectability.

Many defend the practice of ragging. They think that it is a harmless way of introduction. The freshers learn mixing up with their seniors in a new institution. However, giving sanction to ragging in any form is bad. Senior students bully, humiliate and even beat up their juniors. Imagine the torture and insults the freshers have to undergo during a ragging session.
There are other civilized ways of mutual introduction. The seniors should welcome their juniors. They should volunteer themselves to come to their help in the new environment. They should encourage the juniors to open themselves before them. Ragging should be strictly banned in educational institutions. The guilty should be given exemplary punishments.

Drug Abuse Among Students

Drugs have been used by mankind for medical purposes since ages. But the abuse of drugs has been caused a world-wide concern these days. According to a survey conducted by WHO there are about 7 million heroin addicts.There are 4.8 million cocaine abusers. 3.4 million addicts use other narcotics. The abuse of drugs is now an international problem. Recent studies in India are shocking. About 88% of the heroin addicts in India are in the age group of 14-25 years.
Children of families whose parents maintain strained relations become easy prey to drugs. To start with, the addict-students takes a fill to get a thrill. Very soon, he develops a mental dependence to the thrill. He requires an increasing dose daily. Drugs affect his health, mind and morals. Physically, mentally and spiritually ha becomes a wreck.
The gravity of the situation demands an all-out war against the use of drugs. Students should be enlightened about the devastating effects of drugs. The government and voluntary organisations should work hand-in-hand. They must wipe out this evil from the student-community in particular.

Exploitation of Women

It has been a male dominated world all along the ages. Woman was reduced to be just an appendage to man. Child marriage, 'sati'-tradition and 'purda-system' and many other evil practices crushed the women of India.
However, the scenario is changing very fast. The Constitution of free India safeguards women's rights. Our Constitution put her at par with man socially, politically and economically. Universal Education has given her a new confidence. She has proved that she can equal man in all walks of life. Women have proved to be better doctors, articles, administrators, and engineers than their counterparts. They are pressing for reservation of seats in the parliament and legislatures. It is just the beginning. Much more remains to be done. But one thing is certain. The march of times can't be arrested back. None can stop the onward march of women.

Child - Abuse

Childhood is the garden period of man's life. Children need love and care for their growth and development. However, child abuse is the tragic irony of Indian social life. About 10 million children are employed in unhealthy, hazardous and dangerous trades and industries. Bare footed, lean and thin children have to work for 10 to 15 hours a day. They work in numerous shops, 'dhabbas', brick kilns, small factories and cottage industries. Some risk their lives while selling newspapers on busy roads.
These child-workers are generally ill-fed and treated like bonded labourers. They are often underpaid. Thousands of children work in fire-crackers and match-factories in South India. Many of them get killed in accidents and fires. The carpet industry in most in human conditions.
Poverty is the main reason that compels many poor parents to send their children for work. India has the largest number of children working in most inhospitable, and in human surroundings. The Child Labour Act should be enforced with all sincerity and strictness. Exemplary punishment should be given to the defaulters and the defiant employers.

Dowry System In India

Giving and receiving of dowry is a social evil or a crime. Yet this is widely practiced almost in every state and community. Every eligible boy has a price. He is for sale to the highest bidder. His parents dictate the terms and demand dowry in the form of cash and kind. Such demands put the poor father of the girl in a tight corner. He may beg, borrow or steal but he has to spend for his daughter's marriage. He, however, cannot meet constant demands made repeatedly even after marriage as there is a limit to his finances. The bride is tortured and even burnt alive. Isn't it possible to finish this evil ? Perhaps we can check it to some extent through laws and proper education of our youth. They only can bring an end to this in human practice.