Is today a day of celebration? What should we celebrate? Do we have something to celebrate after these long years of independence? Do we not have more misfortunes to be ashamed of? We may have lined up millions of school children for celebration, banner raising, and singing our national songs. Our children, as put by someone, are denied their basic rights, identity, health, education, and above all, the right to childhood; duly betrayed by the Constitution, ostracised by a society and being transformed into the future’s vagabonds by the state.

Children are innocent. They do not know their future. They want to learn. They want to play with schoolmates, in school playgrounds; they want to celebrate their small achievements; they want to hold the flag high; they want to sing national songs the loudest; their love for their homeland is above board, beyond any question. Our commitment to their future is doubtful. We have failed them. The society we have shaped has failed them. The state has sacrificed their future for the comfort of a small segment of the population.

The state has failed to provide education to over 37 million children - aged between 5-15 years. They are out of school. The state’s commitment to their education is questionable. It does not spend sufficient funds on their education. The paltry sum earmarked in our national and provincial budgets every year is mostly siphoned off by our rapacious public servants and their political bosses. The education department has emerged as the most corrupt department after police, irrigation, and revenue.

The 14th August........

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