Essay on Children's Day

Children's Day, or Bal Diwas, is celebrated in India on 14 November every year. It is the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, who was born on 14 November 1889. He was very fond of children, and they called him Chacha Nehru. He believed that the children of today will make the India of tomorrow, and so they must be given love, care and good education. On this day, schools do not hold regular classes. There are games, fancy dress, songs and competitions. In many schools the teachers perform for the students, which the children enjoy the most. Children's Day also reminds grown-ups that every child, rich or poor, has the right to go to school and to have a happy childhood.

Every year on 14 November, India celebrates Children's Day. It is also called Bal Diwas. The day is the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, who was born in 1889.

Pandit Nehru was a busy leader, yet he always found time for children. He liked to talk and play with them, and they called him Chacha Nehru. He often wore a red rose on his coat. He used to say that children are like buds in a garden and should be brought up with care and love, because they are the future of the nation. After his death in 1964, his birthday came to be celebrated across the country as Children's Day.

It is a day every student waits for. In my school there are no regular periods on Children's Day. The morning begins with a special assembly where the principal speaks about Chacha Nehru. Then the fun starts: races, quiz contests, drawing competitions, fancy dress and a class party. The most exciting part is the programme put up by the teachers. They sing, dance and act in a play, and the whole school claps and laughs. Sweets and small gifts are given to all the children.

Behind the fun, the day carries a serious message. Many children in our country still cannot go to school. Some have to work in shops, fields and factories at an age when they should be learning and playing. Child labour is against the law, and every child has the right to free education and to protection. Children's Day asks all of us to think about these children.

As students, we can also do our bit. We can share our old books and toys, help a younger child with studies, and treat every child with respect, whatever work his or her parents do. A country is judged by how it looks after its children. If children are healthy, educated and happy, the future of India is safe.