Don’t forget the citizen of tomorrow

When I ask parents why they accompany their children to the school gate they mention that Male is not safe to send them alone. This is logically so for the small child may lose its way or be distracted, or even be injured by passing vehicles or motorcycles that throng our Male streets. But when parents have to accompany even just about teenage kids to the school gate clearly says that the Male environment is toxic. No parent would like to take that chance of their child being led astray. But there seems to be another angle to this too a friend tells me, for even in the other islands – our Raajjethere, this is becoming a common sight. Is it because parents fear their child might be in an accident? Or some bad person will lure them away? Our Island culture unfortunately is a replica of our Male culture, and behaviors tend to be passed on. But perhaps not so quickly, and thus my other reason why parents accompany children to school is to carry their heavy bags. But of course they don’t have to be that heavy if the school can organize the classroom learning process in a different way. But the real issue I ferret out is that parents don’t want to burden their children. Some parents even go to the extent of displeased retort to indicate that ‘they work so hard to make life for their children easy’. Does this observation seem too far fetched? Perhaps many parents do this in the sincerity of their love for their children. Sometimes, love can be blind. Life’s experiences show however that a child’s character is developed with the presence of some hardships in their lives. Parents in their mistaken notion of love for the child may be overdoing their doting on their young children. Certainly in the island that I saw this happen was not because of the fear of road traffic accidents or bad people stalking minors. I am wont to think that these are mistaken views of confused parents who do this to show they care. But who is there to show a better way? The Male culture is the vogue and the islands follow. And Male follows that modernization model of the West. Ultimately, materialism pervades our societies without us even being aware of how materialism insidiously takes the humanity away from us humans.   

Given such scenarios in our midst, we have ourselves become the manifestations of our mental insecurities -- thinking that our mimicking of global culture will make us modern. This is a fast track to our social destruction. Our sense of balance is lost and soon we are in alien territory where we have to follow those who will dictate terms to us. In our oblivion to the mesmerizing we are subject to, we are in fact in a drunken state, not knowing right from wrong for the glitter has dazzled us too much. Thus, aren't we the ones that create the insecurity that necessitates us to want our children to be safe. So we buy motor cycles and cars to ferry them to school to show our love for them but at home we don't do half of what we should do to make our children’s minds secure. We don't spend quality time with our kids or eat with them at mealtimes. We give out excuses that we have to earn our living so that our children can eat? Is it really that for which you are earning or is it just to get rich that is the paradigm our leaders’ lure. In the process, we continue to fill our streets with cars that make us feel important and rich, while our children feel neglected and join the street gangs that give them that security and the sense of belonging which their homes couldn’t give.  

Why do we not encourage our children to get into the marketplace of work? Idle minds will always find something to do, and it may not be what parents would want. But unvigilant parents will have tears to shed. Why do we say that as an excuse that we work so hard to make life easy for our children? Parents! Please be aware! Children of good character are not built on a comfortable life but a life of difficulties and hardship. Putting a child to situations of learning lessons (in test of hardship) doesn’t diminish our love for them. In fact, when done in good intention, is an expression of love. Rich parents should not forfeit the goodness of a tomorrow based on your egos. Your tears in old age will be too difficult to bear when you will have brought up children who will not care about you when you are old. Young parents may not know this as you struggle through the stress of each day. But that twilight day will inevitably come. Let's learn from these experiences of what is happening around you. How many old parents are left neglected? Otherwise there is no reason for the government to give a 2000 rupee old age allowance to them if there were loving children to care for them. It would in fact be a shame on a loving child to accept this money on account of government charity. In a democracy, the Government is merely recycling our own financial contributions back to us. Let's wake up to our world of democracy. Nobody is giving us charity – as in times of the kings and despots. Now we get back what we give. Democracy is an edict that calls on us as nation to strengthen our independent resolve to stand on our own feet. Democracy is about nurturing responsibility and a responsible future is built on breeding and nurturing responsible children - the citizens of tomorrow. Parents please wake up!