Development and welfare of children
By: Mr. K. K. Mam

All through history, the child has been the subject of love, care and appreciation. In literature, arts and religion, children and childhood have been depicted in terms which raised sublime thought's, deep emotion and divine sentiments. In the past not much attention has been paid by society and Government because children were seldom subjected to violence, abuse and exploitation. Childhood has been universally acknowledged as precious and privileged irrespective of colour, race, religion or sex.

The two world wars and a series of conflicts in different regions followed by unprecedented human sufferings and cruelties suddenly changed the situation the world over. The children were left to mend themselves in the game of power and politics. They were exposed to a variety of abuses and exploitation which hardly received the attention of Law and Government in the competitive, aggressive and industrial society.

Children find love, nourishment, sense of belongingness though their families. Inspite of economic and social hardships the poor families are able to fulfill their responsibilities to the children which implies that family care is the best care for development and welfare of children. Unfortunately, many children find themselves in vulnerable conditions of not being able to get the family care. Some have no family at all or are completely separated from it. Some belong to a family that has been traumatised natural or man made, poverty, family disintegration or other causes. Still others are neglectful or abused families that have become threat to their welfare instead of protection and care. These children are "children in especially difficult circumstances." All of these children require assistance and protection.

In the recent years many people who are concerned with children have become aware of the changing world conditions of these vulnerable children. There have been many deliberations, declarations both at International and National level. The World's declaration on the survival, protection and development of children was agreed to at the world's summit on children on 30th September 1998. A plan of action for implementing specific actions for child survival, protection and development, follow-up actions and monitor were framed. On 22nd August 1974 a resolution by the National policy for children, Government of India talks of its goals, policies and measures, priority in programme formulation, Constitution of National Children's Board, role of voluntary agencies, legislative and administrative action and people's participation. Even with all these efforts we still find many many children in distress who need a home a place where they are cared for.

The important issues of child development are related to nutrition, day care and preschool education, early stimulation and other activities intended to ensure the child's social and mental development during the formative years. We need to take note of the problems faced by orphan, abandoned, destitute, working and street children. We need to promote child's survival and development as a single concept realising that the two goals are found together.

Children need protection from direct threats to their life, health and development. Child abuse which includes physical abuse, physical neglect, mental abuse and neglect and sexual abuse due to growing urbanisation, migration and poverty. Children especially in difficult circumstances which cover orphan, destitute and needy children suffer physically and mentally. One can read this message of suffering in their eyes, gestures and their actions. They hardly say anything in words or demand their right as declared by convention on the right of the child. It is for all of us to see and ensure that no child undergoes such trauma because the result of children growing in such circumstances without family care usually make bad citizens of the nation. It is therefore wise to take early precaution for the better future of our Nation.

Some of the steps which could be taken as working principles for better development and welfare of children are:

* Protection against threats of despair, the exploitation of working children and the hazardous environment of street children.

* Prevention should be the priority to reduce destitution and children failing victim to such dangers. For this community based projects can help in retension of separation of children from families by creating income generation activities for women to protect women disintegration.

* Action within family and community structures including the extending family should be encouraged rather than institutional approaches. The family concept need to be strengthened.

* The child must be treated as a whole person fulfilling his or her social, emotional and physical needs.

* Extension of existing services like primary health care, non-formal education, vocational training, women's programmes etc must be encouraged.

* Efforts need to be made to increase awareness of the situations of these needy children through the mass media, and use of community resources. The community need to be sensitised to the mental and physical hardships faced by the needy children for their survival.

* Efforts should be made for using Government programmes which help in the development of these needy children.

* Specific education should be directed to the following intervenes:

a) Implementation of legislation, which usually become statements, the lives of the children who are in difficult situations would become effective only when the legislation is implemented to their objectives. The state level medium is necessary to ensure the implementation of child related legislation.

b) Public education is required through media. Newspapers, internet services need to be taped to disseminated information on the issues for the awareness of these needy children.

c) NGO's need to have a good rapport with these children and be equipped with necessary knowledge, commitment, experties and resource. This should be supported by the welfare departments in order to strengthen them and their programmes.

d) The quality of services in child care institutions both at Government and non Government organisations need to be ensured for children's proper growth and development.

It is the time to increase our sensitivity and commitment to proper actions for children in difficult circumstances. It is quite appropriate that Jammu & Kashmir State would lead the way through policies, programmes and actions for providing better care to the children in especially difficult circumstances. It would be more effective if the co-ordination between social welfare department, NGO's communities and individuals interest in the welfare of the children is made proper continuous and effective.

(The author is Director SOS Children's Village)

Muslims in post-Independence India
By: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

At the request of certain educated Muslims and non-Muslims of Pune, I addressed a common gathering on November 6, 1991 on a topic of their choice, namely, 'Muslims in post-Independence India.'

In preparation for this, I had to assess the Muslim condition from two different angles-the economic and the religious. As is my wont, I began to investigate the subject in a purely objective way. After considerable research, I discovered that, quite contrary to common belief, the Muslims' lot has appreciably improved since partition in 1947. In fact, I found that any Muslim I picked out for assessment, or any Muslim settlement I made the subject of my research, was clearly in a better State than in the past.

It is true that Muslims are faced with certain problems and difficulties. But this should not be made not an issue, considering that in this world it is hardly possible to have a completely problem-free life. A problem-free situation should not, therefore, be set up as the criterion by which to judge the condition of a group or community. It must be borne in mind that God's law for this world provides for difficulties and ease to exist side by side at all times. If this were not so, life's struggle would cease altogether. And a society bereft of struggle would no longer spawn living individuals; it would instead become the graveyard of the intellect.

Given this State of affairs, the Muslim condition cannot be judged by utopian standards, it should be judged rather by a set of realistic criteria based on what is patently possible. In the course of my research, I gave little credence to articles on the subject published in Muslim journals and newspapers. Instead , I attempted to form an independent opinion based on my own knowledge and findings. My search led me to conclusions quite the contrary of the story that is constantly repeated about the Muslims, as if it were an axiom.

First of all., I went into the conditions of those misters and maulvis who are held to be the representatives of the Muslims in modern times. I found that each one of them-most of them are known to me directly or indirectly-had considerably improved his position in life after 1947. All leaders without exception, whether secular or religious, had a better standard of living than they had enjoyed prior to Independence.

Then I assessed the position of my own, very large family. Again I found that all my relatives were in a far better State than hitherto. Then I looked at the Muslims in the various localities of my own hometown and in other cities too where I have stayed for some time, and still frequently visit. My observation of the Muslims living there again revealed that almost everyone has improved his standard of living in the post-independence era.

I spent several weeks investigating matters relating to this topic. Finally, I came to the conclusion that in the post-1947 era, Muslims have clearly made progress in this country. They are, today, in a far better State than before.

During this period of research, I visited a Muslim acquaintance of mine who was born in a village in a farmer's family. After completing his education, he went on to become a gazetted officer. We often used to meet a few years ago, and each time he would complain that bias and prejudice in India left no opportunity for Muslims to progress. He would say, 'Just look at me. I have been an officer here in this department for several years, but I have never been promoted. The Hindu lobby bars the way to my advancement.'

After an interval of three years, I went to see him at his home. He had previously lived in a flat, but was lodged in a spacious bungalow with guards and a host of servants. About ten acres of land with several different crops growing on it surrounded the bungalow, adding to its magnificence. I learnt that over the past two years he had several promotions and was now a very highly placed officer. It was due to his high position that he had now been allotted this palatial bungalow.

I stayed with him for about two hours, during which time he made frequent references-of course, with pride-to his bungalow, his post and so on. A few years prior to this, everytime we met, he would speak only of prejudice. Now he spoke only of his own greatness. It was this experience which made me understand the basic deficiency which has kept Muslims unaware of the actual State of affairs in the country. It is purely and simply the inability to recognise and come to grips with reality.

In life, there are good things. When an individuals receives his share of the bad things-one of life's realities: he begins to complain about being the victim of prejudice. But when he receives his share of the good things, he considers this the result of his own capability and endeavour, and thus falls a prety to pride. He neither acknowledges the benefits he enjoys as a divine blessing, for which he should be grateful to God, nor does he look to his own shortcomings as the reason for his lack of success. In this way, he fails to see either the positive or the negative situation from the correct angle.

What is worse is that he is highly vocal about his deprivations, while remaining silent about his share of God's material blessings. So that if the gains are never mentioned (whether or not they are appreciated as God's gifts) and only deprivations are emphasised, Muslim successes will be never public knowledge.

Regular attempts are made to prove that Indian Muslims suffer deprivation by quoting statistics on their minimal recruitment to Government services. An English monthly, brought out in Delhi by Muslims, publishes data in almost every issue, which gives the figure of two per cent as the Muslims share in public offices. It is held that with this very low percentage of recruitment, Muslims are grossly under-represented in the country's administration in terms of the proportion they made up of the national population, i.e., twelve per cent.

Arguments based on this data appear to be logically compelling, but the data itself leaves certain factors out of account, such as the backwardness of Muslims at the college and university levels of education. Eligibility for admission to Government service requires candidates to be degree-holders from institutes of high learning, but the oft-quoted statistics make no mention of the fact that very few Muslim degree holders come forward to seek Government posts.

Another factor left unstressed by these statistics is the composition of the Muslim twelve per cent of the population. About half of this percentage is accounted for by women. That means that about half of the potential workforce is permanently out of the picture, because Muslim traditions are against women going out to work in Government offices. In this way, half of the Muslim population is automatically deleted from the list of recruits of Government service. This leaves 10 per cent, but from that we have to subtract another 3 percent made up of those who are insufficiently educated. The two per cent ratio of Muslims in Government services, albeit extremely low, does not then appear totally injustifiable. However, Government services are no criterion to guage the material prosperity of a community in a free, developing society.

There are at least two definite reasons for this. One, that the issue of recruitment to the services is related to the Government, and the wielders of power have always taken into account their own political interests in the allotment of posts in the services. Even if these rulers are personally sincere, they adopt, due to national and international consideration, a policy in regard to Government service where the basis of decision-making is not simply prospering of a balance between the different communities making up the population, but the concessions are made to political imperatives. This is a State which exists in all societies and under all Government systems.

For instance, the Sindhi Muslims of Pakistan complain that, in the Central Government services, the Punjabi Muslims are over-represented, while they themselves have fewer posts than their ratio would actually warrant. In Iraq, most of the high Government posts are given to Shiites so that Sunis are mostly deprived of them. This same State of Affairs exists in most Muslims countries in one way or another.

In India, too, such disparities exist at various levels. However, they do not exist only between Hindus and Muslims, but also between Hindus and Hindus. For instance, in appointments to high Government posts, members of the Brahmin caste far outstrip Hindus of other castes. Similarly, the English-educated class bags more Government posts than the Hindi-educated class. Muslims, for various reasons, also find themselves at a disadvantage, but this is a problem which is common to most groups and does not affect the Muslim alone.

Perhaps a more telling point is that Government service relates more to the processes of administration than to economics, accounting as it does for a mere two per cent of the distribution of the country's economic resources. There is a much vaster field outside the administration in which people may earn a good living. Therfore, if a group is only marginally represented in Govt. services, it does not necessarily follow that it must remain economically deprived. There are innumerable fields open to those seeking employment, and it is quite possible that once they enter them, they may find them more lucrative than even the highest Government posts.

Many historical examples can be cited in support of this viewpoint. One example in the recent past is the high level of prosperity attained by the Hindus in the erstwhile State of Hyderabad, despite the marked preference shown to Muslims in the allocation of Government posts. This was because the Hindus had captured the fields of commerce and industry throughout the State. By engaging themselves in commercial pursuits they gained a far better economic position than they could ever have expected from positions in the administration.

I have come to the conclusion, therefore, that the economic position of Indian Muslims should be judged not just by their ratio in Government services, but by their success (or failure) in the spheres of commerce, industry, science and education. Mere representation in Government services is no criterion by which to gauge their true economic worth-CNF