Why the child matters crucially

One could seem to be dwelling on the obvious by saying that the child is of profound importance to humankind. Yet, this seeming truism merits reiteration because children have emerged as one of the most vulnerable groups even in Lankan society. For instance, hardly a day passes without it being known that a child somewhere has been abandoned, very often in public places. It is also no secret that foetuses are being destroyed at a disconcerting pace locally.

Therefore, the writing is on the wall that childhood, in some quarters, is not being treated with any deferential reverence, although lip service is being paid widely in this country to the Ethic of the Reverence for Life. The causative factors behind this phenomenon are complex and it would not be possible to provide a comprehensive picture of the reasons underlying the current intensifying vulnerability of the young, other than through a detailed exploration of the contemporary social and economic landscape of the country. This could prove an ambitious enterprise but suffice it to know that over the past 30 years Sri Lanka has been degenerating into an increasingly acquisitive society where moral values and norms have come to be seen as having little value, by some sections.

We had occasion to touch on some of these issues a couple of days back when we dealt with the topic of the condition of our elders. Children, like elders, have fallen into the category of persons who are facing both multifarious and new perils and our welfare state system is being challenged by these troubling posers to get into the act of meeting their needs quickly.

Given this bleak backdrop, it is encouraging to know that these issues are being addressed region-wide. As this commentary is being penned, an inter-governmental forum titled South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) is meeting in Colombo to fashion a regional approach to managing the many ills being faced by South Asia’s children. It goes without saying that facing the issues head-on and collectively could prove invaluable and result-oriented, if there exists a region-wide resolve to take on the relevant questions. Hopefully, there would be an adequate regional will to translate theoretical formulations and policy prescriptions into concrete action that would prove beneficial to our children.

Let not any declarations and resolutions be allowed to gather dust in any bureaucratic shelves, is our wish. As in the case with our elders, child abuse in its numerous forms has to do with the relentless desensitizing of sections of local society towards the more vulnerable groups among us. Accordingly, what is most urgently required is the fostering of a deeper moral awareness among those who are likely to harass and abuse the weaker sections of society. It stands to reason that this task of fostering wholesome qualities in the human personality falls to the lot of mainly the clergy and the numerous religious organizations that surround us, in addition to educational institutions that are charged with moulding the character of citizens.

However, we are quite aware that the state too is discharging its responsibilities in this regard to the best of its ability. For instance, President Mahinda Rajapaksa takes a deep interest in the well being of the younger generation and goes more than the extra mile to meet some of their needs. Besides, there exists a Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs which works towards meeting the most essential requirements of women and children.

We also as a country need to ponder on the fact that the 30 year long conflict has exerted a most deleterious impact on the more impressionable sections of society. A sense of respect for human life could not be expected to endure against the dehumanizing impact of prolonged war and bloodshed. The LTTE Child Soldier phenomenon is chilling proof of the grave harm, violence and war could do to the adult human sensibility. Dehumanized adult sensibilities could be expected to unleash cruelties of the most horrendous kind and Child Soldiers are a product of this morbid adult imagination.

Therefore, it is time this country and the South Asian region pondered long and deep on what could be done to alleviate the condition of particularly poverty-stricken children. While there needs to be a collective re-dedication to the Ethic of the Reverence for Life, the legal structures need to be in place to ensure that child abuse carries a prohibitive price.