NEHRU CHACHA
BY VAIBHAVI DHOTRE
On November 20 1959, the United Nations passed the convention of the rights of children, an immensely influential document enshrining a list of child rights from health to education, to safety and to play. In honour of this passage , the UN declared November 20 as international children’s day a holiday that continues to be celebrated throughout the world.
However in India children’s day is celebrated on 14th November, a day marking the birth anniversary of our late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. To talk about him as a person he was well known for his faith in children’s ability to lead the nation to greatness. He was particularly invested in children’s right to education, establishing a free Public funded government school system and the Indian institute of management . Nehru did not use his position to reproduce oppressions instead he used his office as PM to dismantle them. He was indeed one of his kind , a person well known for his belief in equity and use of his privilege to fight for it. However none of his efforts were perfect , some of his decisions stand to get criticized hitherto. His legacy was undoubtedly tarnished by two main issues KASHMIR and CHINA debacle, which was greatly the result of his devaluing the “Military”. 1946 marked the beginning of devaluation , where by a decision to replace the Commander in Chief as the Defense member of the Council was made by him.
Having influenced by the effects of extreme militarism in Europe and Japan which led to WW2 , he was of the opinion that in any policy in army or otherwise the views of Government of India and their policy will prevail. Further he led to the creation of Defense Committee and separation of commands ,one each of Army, Air force and Navy. Which was to be his deliberate actions to reduce the role of military on Indian scene. However his lowest point in civil military relations was the resignation offer of army Chief General KS Thismayya and disagreement with Krishna Menon over the promotion of senior army officers . Irrespective of all the flaws,Nehru was the one who converted a colonial state of excessive military power to a liberal system of democracy.
He was the champion of land reforms and secularism , the only national leader who was a trinity man having the luck of devil and charm so powerful which could have been weaponised . A renaissance man with a great respect for not only Indian culture but also for foreign cultures . We Indians owe due credit to him. For his legacy will be honoured in following his footsteps. Let us then come together to eradicate the social evils curtailing dreams of thousands of children , to hereby take an oath to strive against injustice done to our children , to let them live their childhood. For benefit of nation lies in development of abilities of our children , for childhood days cannot be bought.
(VAIBHAVI DHOTRE IS A STUDENT OF ILS LAW COLLEGE PUNE.)
