A few days ago, the news of a 10-year-old innocent child being subjected to inhuman torture by his owners in Patiala became a hot topic of discussion in the media. The Punjab Child Protection Rights Commission, Punjab Women Commission and the District Police Chief of Patiala also took strict cognizance of it. An FIR was registered against the accused woman and she was also arrested.

Well, this case came to light due to the efforts of a voluntary organization, so appropriate action was also taken on it. But are we aware of the fact that how many incidents of child abuse are there in our country? Although our country has developed in every field, poverty still dominates the daily lives of a large population. In our country, beating children is not considered harmful to the child, as it is considered in other western developed countries. 20% of the world's children live in India. The main reasons for child abuse here are poverty, illiteracy, social conditions and the majority of children living in middle-class families.

Violence against children occurs everywhere such as at home, school, childcare institutions, at work and in society. It has also been observed that many times children are victims of abuse at their own hands. I once had the opportunity to listen to former Union Minister late Shri Pramod Mahajan ji in Delhi. He said that we raise our hands on children because they cannot raise their hands on us in return. Children have always been an easy target of violence. Crimes against children can mainly be physical punishment, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or risky acts.

Our country has a comprehensive policy and legal framework for children and to ensure their safety. The government strives to ensure that all children receive quality education and all kinds of protection. Necessary laws have been made for child protection in India. These include the Protection and Care Act (2000, amended 2015)), the Child Marriage Prevention Act (2006), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act 2012) and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation Act 1986, amended 2016).

In the last few years, fast track courts have also been set up to deal with crimes against children. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill was amended in 2019, providing for stringent penalties to prevent sexual exploitation of children. Violence against children is widespread. Even today, it is a harsh reality for millions of innocents. We usually see children selling some things, toys, balloons etc. on the streets, intersections, crowded markets and sometimes at religious places. Many children are also seen begging in dangerous traffic and polluted environment. Nowadays a new trend is being seen that very young children are being used as a means of begging by loading them on the handcart. Parents are directly responsible for this.

We celebrate Children's Day every year. Children are seen as the nation builders of tomorrow and the future of the country. These concepts need to be considered in a meaningful way. Although everyone knows that in today's era of communication and broadcasting revolution, it is not easy to hide any crime, but still atrocities against children have not decreased. Therefore, parents, social organizations and every citizen need to be aware. We also need to make children aware about their safety. Children are our pride, they are actually our future. It is the primary duty of all of us to provide them with a comfortable environment to grow and flourish.

Davinder Kumar