14th November is Chacha Nehru’s Birthday. It used to be called as the Children’s Day. He was a statesman par-excellence. On any given day, it is worth reading the books authored by him. These books hold good for all generations – if you think that Generation Z or Generation Alpha are excluded then you are grossly mistaken. Nehru’s books are beyond time and generations. They are the readings of life. Anyone who reads them will understand life better. They will truly appreciate the gift of life.
Today used to be a festival in my childhood. We have never considered, for that matter, no Indian ever considered him to belong to the Congress party. He was not a politician, nor did we consider him as our Prime Minister! For us he was simply Chacha Nehru. He remained till date as our Chacha in our hearts. We had debates, painting, sports, quizzes and essay writing competitions on this special day. He would interact with students through his wonderful speech on the All India Radio (AIR). Today, no one will understand the wonderful titles like “The Glimpses of World History” or “The Discovery of India” or “Letters from a Father to his Daughter”. They are our Bhagavat Gita, Bible and the Quran.
He loved children. 14th November was celebrated as children’s day to raise awareness about the rights, education and welfare of the children. India of today needs a statesman like him. India does not need politicians for they are the very pests who would eat away India.
On 5th Nov 1948, the first children’s day was observed as the Flower Day to collect funds for the United Nations Appeal for children (UNAC) through the sale of flower tokens. In 1951, Mr. V.M kulkarni, a UN social welfare fellow realized that there was no system to look after the under privileged children of India. Inspired by the Flag Day on the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II to raise money to ‘Save the Child Fund’, Kulkarni presented a report recommending Nehru’s Birthday could be marked as Flag Day for collecting funds for child welfare in India. Nehru reluctantly agreed. It was in 1954, this day was first celebrated as ‘Children’s Day’. In 1957, 14th Nov was officially declared as the Children’s Day by the Government of India. I am one among the many beneficiaries of the Children’s Day.
Now I do not think there will be a Children’s Day! When culture is corrupted with religion and politics, then it stinks. In 2018 the BJP MPs requested PM Modi to designate 26th December as Children’s Day, and November 14 be celebrated as ‘Chacha Diwas’ in memory Nehru. 26th December, it is stated by the BJP MPs, that it is the day of martyrdom of Chhote Sahibzaade (younger son of Guru Gobind Singh).
I am not a Sikh. I know only of Guru Nanak / Baba Nanak. But the Generation Z or Generation Alpha children in India know that 26th December is the birthday of Dawood Ibrahim who is a Mumbai underworld, mobster, drug dealer, and terrorist who is wanted by the Indian government for murder, extortion, targeted killing, drug trafficking, and terrorism.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
