Celebrate and Safeguard

November 14 is observed as Children’s Day across India, to commemorate the first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary. It is a reminder of his conviction that children are the true architects of the nation’s future. Nehru’s affection for young minds was not sentimental alone; it was rooted in his belief that the destiny of India would be shaped by how it nurtured and safeguarded its youngest citizens. On Children’s Day, there is also need to reflect back on recent events within and beyond the state, about how child abuse and trafficking expose the threat that they are confronted with everyday. Across the country, more and more children and juveniles are falling prey to traffickers and sexual predators. Their vulnerability is exploited, their innocence destroyed and their futures doomed and traumatized. The infamous Epstein files in the USA serve as a dark reminder about children’s vulnerability. These are not merely just a social malaise but expose a crisis that strikes at the conscience of society. The persistence of child trafficking and sexual exploitation reveals glaring gaps in society and in enforcement and the inadequacy of deterrence. Laws exist, but their implementation is often weak, delayed, or diluted. More often than not, offenders exploit loopholes, while victims are left voiceless. The result is a cycle of impunity that emboldens predators and erodes public trust in justice. In an era of rapid digital transformation, safeguarding children from online abuse and misinformation has become as urgent as protecting them from physical harm. The internet, while a tool of empowerment, has also become a hunting ground for predators. Vigilance, awareness, and regulation must extend into the digital sphere, ensuring that children are not left exposed to new forms of exploitation. Children’s Day, therefore, must not be reduced to token celebrations in schools or ceremonial tributes to Nehru. It should be a day of reckoning-a reminder that the true measure of a nation lies in how it treats its most vulnerable. Protecting children from exploitation, ensuring their voices are heard, and equipping them with opportunities for education and growth are not optional tasks; they are moral imperatives. What is urgently required is a two-pronged approach. First, stronger deterrence through laws that leave no room for leniency in crimes against children. The justice system must act with speed and certainty, ensuring that those guilty of such heinous offences face the strictest punishment. Only then can deterrence be real and effective. Second, society must shoulder its responsibility. Effective policing, specialized child protection units, and sensitization of judicial processes are critical. Rehabilitation and support for survivors must be prioritized, so that justice is not only punitive but also restorative. Nehru once said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country.” Nehru’s words resonate with renewed urgency and therefore, to honor his legacy, India must ensure that every child grows up free from fear, exploitation, and abuse. The celebration of Children’s Day has to move focus on garlands or speeches. The day should be an occasion to ensure that the law stands as a shield and society as a guardian, and justice as a certainty.