Voice for the Voiceless

-
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Proverbs 31:8

Do we really care for the poor and needy children around us?

India is home to 400 million children, the largest number in any country in the world. However sadly, one third of the world’s children living in poverty are in India.

Childhood is the time when a person needs nurturing, schooling, time to play and explore the opportunity to grow both emotionally and physically. We all say, children are the future of a nation. Yet they have been neglected a lot in India, which is evident from the existence of infant mortality, child morbidity, child malnutrition, childhood disability, child abuse, child labor, child prostitution, street children, child beggary, child marriage, drug addiction and illiteracy.

What are we going to do? Are we just going to be mere spectators of things happening around us? Or are we going to raise our voice for their justice?

Abandoned children have been a source of misery since times immemorial. In developing countries like India, everywhere we find children who should be in school toiling in hazardous occupations. Children wander about to make their living out of harsh environment. They become subject to all sorts of abuses. Many children are deprived of parental care and are shunned by the society for no fault of theirs.

What these children require is the seamless continuum of care and concern. Let us remember that if today’s children are not protected, tomorrow’s society will be weakened.

Stacia Tauscher once said, “We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” Isn’t it? Most often, when we come across such abandoned children, we sympathize for them. We worry about their future. But have ever taken a single step to help them. Have we been socially responsible enough to help them get rid of their bitter circumstances? Most often not! In fact, we seldom think of them when we reach our homes.

It is not only the responsibility of the government to look after these abandoned children. It is the responsibility of the society and the government to act together and respond to this miserable situation. And as Christians, we cannot be silent to this burning issue. If we fail to do so, we will be doing a grave injustice to our children and would be denying them their basic rights.

After reading this, next time whenever you see a child begging in the streets, selling flowers or fruits by the roadside, singing songs and pleading for money in the moving trains, don’t harden your hearts. Set a trail for others to follow. Do your best to help and protect these vulnerable children. Raise your voice for the little ones. Your small gesture could transform tomorrow’s India.

What you do will impact the lives of more than you will ever know.

- Sunitha Justin

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I Believe

-
I was born in a Hindu Brahmin family. My mother, Jayanthi, was a pious lady and she religiously offered daily prayers to several images of gods and goddesses in our house. I remember as a little child, I and my sister used to sit beside her early in the Tuesday and Friday mornings, watching her chant the mantras and sing the  bhajans (slogans). We did not miss a single festival – these were times of great celebrations. Our balcony, corridor and entrance were filled with lights – light from the diyas (candles). There was so much fun - new dresses, relatives and friends at home! We had all that we wanted in life. Both my parents were working in a bank. My grandparents took good care of us, when our parents were away at work. We were financially able to look after ourselves in the expensive city of Mumbai. But in spite of having everything and despite persistent prayers, my mom felt something was missing – the peace she was longing for.  Things went on. Amidst several health...
Read more

A God who Satisfies

-
Image
We have a God who satisfies all our needs And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Exodus 16:18 God led the people out of Egypt. In Egypt, Pharaoh asked Joseph to choose the best land for his household and he chose the land of Goshen. Goshen was one of the best lands in Egypt, a fertile land, a land for crops and livestock. In years, a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know about Joseph or what he did to save the people of Israel. The people of Israel came into bondage, but still, they had enough food to eat because their land produced enough for them. When they were led into the wilderness, we see a sharp contrast. They were in bondage earlier, but now they are free. However, they had enough to eat, now they are starving. So they were grumbling against Moses and Aaron and in doing so they were grumbling against God. ...
Read more

God and Science

-
Image
Does God really exist? This is a foundational spiritual question that all of us would have asked ourselves at some point in time. The Bible provides us with the answer. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1 The first verse in the Bible is the foundation of the rest of the Bible and is fundamental to our understanding of who God is. As a child, and perhaps even as an adult, we have all gone crazy at least one point in time, as we think about how this whole existence of life began. If scientists say, everything has evolved over billions of years, the question remains - when and how did the first particle come? How did the sun, moon and stars find their place in the universe? Even as you grapple with those questions, the Bible opens with an answer. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. As simple as it may sound, this is so profound and may take a lifetime to analyse. It answers three important questions: when, who, what? The q...
Read more