Children are the nation’s future

There are many elder advocates of human rights in Rawalpindi and Islamabad who fought for Pakistan and wait for the day the shackles of what they call social and economic slavery are actually broken and common people feel they are free and independent to make their homeland truly a welfare state as envisioned by Allama Iqbal and the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Coming across such patriots during a round of city streets the other day was a pleasant experience. One learnt their focus is on the health and education of ordinary citizens and their children.

Similarly, visits to some doctors of the federal capital turned out to be very informative. For instance, children’s welfare becomes a topic of discussion among parents who come from various localities to a medical complex near China Chowk for examination and treatment of their ailing children.

Some arrive 20 minutes earlier than asked by doctors concerned. That provides an opportunity for exchange of views on impact of soaring prices of food and medicines on social and economic life and children’s rights.

It’s normal for a pressman to drag doctors also into useful discussion in regard to health, education and rights of children and their future role in the development and progress of the country.

A dental surgeon, responding to a question, emphasises the need for protection against vagaries of weather and keeping children alive in a clean and healthy environment in all circumstances. “They are the real future of the nation.” A dermatologist agrees to the view of the surgeon.

Both recall the role of teachers and parents in healthy growth of children into good citizens; one highlighting the importance of strength of teeth and gums while the other cautioning against the use of unwashed and dirty clothes. They advise the visiting parents to ensure that children’s nails are cut and kept clean regularly and hands are washed properly.

“That’s all the more important for overall body-health of a school-going child.” According to child specialists, it’s the duty of parents to send their children to educational institutions regularly in time and take care of them at home as teachers do it at schools. They say: “A schoolchild has to be saved at all costs from falling into a bad company; children are promising sons and daughters of the soil; they have a right to acquire free education up to matriculation and healthcare anywhere in the country until their death.”

Dental surgeons say a child’s strong teeth mean they are without any caries (‘keera’) and lesion (‘choat’), and gums are healthy. A feeder in a child’s mouth during night-sleep may develop caries. Similarly, schoolchildren should avoid toffees, chocolates and chewing-gums.

It is not necessary to use paste every time while cleaning teeth with a brush although tooth-brushing after taking food for a meal is preferable. The general health of children will not be affected if their dental check-up is carried out once in every three or four months.

“They’re the real future of the country facing problems; they’ve to be brought up properly.” Advocates of children’s health, education and rights in fact want laying of a foundation for social and economic justice as visualised by the founder of Pakistan.

Hundreds of thousands of young children across the country said during a survey: “we do not know what human rights are because we are not dealt with as humans, we only know we are born to be treated as slaves, to be abused, to be kidnapped, sold, tortured mentally and sexually, education is far away from us because we are given birth by poor women; who will liberate us from shackles of ignorance and poverty; who will raise voice for us, we’ll do it ourselves through our own assembly---the Children’s Parliament.”

-- zasarwar@hotmail.com