Absent Necessity
April 2019
Wails
of infancy erupt. I shed tears with her - happy or sad? Feed our crying
stomachs or roof our sick children? Solutions and emotions are endless.
Adoption isn't an option for those in the world of poverty. I feel sick to the
stomach. Hunger, disgust or regret?
Poverty, disability, and tendency to
favour boys, deeming them as 'sole breadwinners', remain a societal issue even
in the developing age. Abandonment in bus stands, garbage dumps, water bodies and
even train tracks have led to fatal incidents amongst both the uneducated and
the educated class.
There are measures supposedly being
taken regarding child welfare and protection but there is a huge rift in the
ideologies presented.
As no precise study has been conducted,
the number of children on streets selling goods and begging is uncertain.
In foreign countries, despite having a flawed system, they are taken into shelters that provide basic welfare measures
until they can be placed in a temporary or permanent home.
70% of women experience domestic abuse,
including married women having children. Children are exposed to violence that
affects mental health and/or turns them violent. As they see a parental figure
abusing family, it is at times adopted by the children as well.
In India, the foster system is a necessity
that is absent. It would provide children with violence and stress-free homes - their basic requirements for leading a stable life. With a children
population of 43.68 crores (39% of the total population), it would be a leap towards
child safety if implemented efficiently.
With social media, thousands of
movements have arisen. This empowered voice drives me to advocate for all the
children who are forced to leave this world before they enjoy it. For all the
children that witnessed their mother being thrown to the ground, helpless. For
all the children that cannot afford to think of the better things due to family
issues.
For all the children that should be
encouraged to raise their voices.
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Picture source: unknown
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