Clean, corruption-free
Students reveal what they like and dislike about our dear motherland, as well as suggestions to help India shine with greater glory.
NEW DELHI: There is a time-tested adage — thoughts precede actions. Simply put, thoughts, opinions or ideas precede actions — actions coming from children, adults or the elderly, which determine the future of our nation in a broader context. Ideas, be it from adults or children, are equally important in shaping up the future of our country which is as diverse as its myriad cultures, religions, languages and ethnicities are. Here the focus is on children’s ideas of India, as gleaned by School Times from views expressed by school students on what they like and dislike about our dear motherland, and, most importantly, their suggestions that can make India a far better place to live in.
Sahil Dhingra, a Class 10 student of ITL Public School is of the view that Like: “As India is a land of diverse cultures, we, perhaps, have the most number of festivals in the world. I see fairs and festivals everywhere. We get a number of holidays and if those holidays fall on weekends, the fun just doubles up. So festivals delight me the most.”
Dislike: “We need to help Indians rid of their uncouth habits. I see people spitting everywhere. This is the only thing I hate about Indians.”
Suggestion: “We need more toilets and I think a good toilet app can really work wonders. Our government should successfully come out with such an app that shows the destination of the nearest toilet/s. faulty implementation of construction works takes a lot of innocent lives and the only reason behind this is gross negligence and corruption. Offering solution to a problem, Class 7 student Sanskriti Roy of The Indian School wants the government to deploy more doctors and trained nurses in rural hospitals so as to check the mortality rate.
Class 8 student Pragitya Vig of Salwan Public School says that population, which is considered a liability in our country, has actually become an asset for the growth of our labourintensive workforce. On the other hand, Class 10 student Keshav Kumar Jha of Bal Bharati Public School, Noida, believes that the dearth of adequate school and college teachers is a huge challenge, making it a distant dream for many deserving students to afford high quality schooling. Like: “The best thing about India is its message of peace and camaraderie to the world. Not only has it made efforts to eradicate terror and fight ‘global’problems, but it has also not attacked any country in the past.”
Dislike: “Today, Indians have no fear of committing henious crimes like rapes and human trafficking. We have failed to provide basic necessities like food, shelter, education, safety and often, even the right to life.”
Suggestion: “We should be courageous to follow the right path, to help countrymen get rid of superstitions, prevent them from committing wrongs, and be proactive in seeking punishment for wrongdoers.” Like: “What I like about my country is that people of different religions and castes live together.”
Dislike: “What I dislike is that there is discrimination on the basis of rich and poor and biases against girls. A woman cannot go outside without her husband. All girls are not given education. Worse, women are married off much before the permissible age limit of 18 just for money, societal pressure and ignorance. This dooms their lives
Suggestion: The government should take steps to solve the country’s problems. We should also apply our brains and find solutions instead of giving in to populism. Like: What gives me hope and happiness is that the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is taking positive steps.
Dislike: I dislike corruption and the misuse of money power by the ministers. The greed of money has percolated so deep inside our political strata that it has become impossible for the common man to expect justice and transparency in even the simplest administrative procedures. This vicious cycle is harming us a lot.
Suggestion: We have to take steps together to solve the country’s problems. The public should have a stronger say in the country’s day-today activities. Like: “We have excellent armed forces to protect our country. India has a bright future ahead. I am proud of my country’s space programmes, including Mangalyan and other missions.”
Dislike: “The first thing I just dislike is that my country is littered with garbage everywhere. The rivers we have been worshipping for ages are dirty and their water has become poisonous. Every year, many among us fall prey to diseases like dengue.”
Suggestion: “To make our country better, we have to keep a check on the population. We have to sensitise every person to keep our surroundings clean.” Like: “Atithi Devo Bhava, which means consider the guest as god, has always been the ethos of Indian culture. We Indians consider our guests as gods and treat them with all love and cordiality. This is what I like about my country. .”
Dislike: “I dislike biases against the women. A lot has to be done for the empowerment of women as well as to bridge the gap between men and women”
Suggestion: “I want a society where people from weaker sections should have dignity and women should have equal rights to educate, to participate in political activities and raise their voices against violence.”