Editorial Short Story Column Book Reviews Community Events Music & Art US Round-up Humour Travel Poetry Prev Issue Next Issue

Mothers Have A Huge Responsibility - M.J. Neela M.J. Neela is a Freelance writer and works from home. She characterises herself as a post-modern non-linear thinker. She believes each of us should make a contribution to our society, even if just by way of our own unique influences through positive thinking. M.J. Neela is married to an Air Force Officer and has a seven-year-old son. She holds an M.Phil degree from JNU (New Delhi) in International Politics. she loves to write on a variety of subjects. Issues concerning women and children in today's socio-political realm are of special interest to her.

"Good values" Where do our children imbibe them from? Schools? Well yes, but not entirely; what with the bulky syllabus to cover and extra curricular activities to organise. From their grand parents then? Most of our children's associations with grand parents are restricted to vacations and other reunions. Many of these family reunions as we know, are hectic and packed with picnics, outings and grown-up gossips to catch up on. Where is the time for leisurely involvement with our children? Come to think of it, we even invent ingenious way to keep children out of the way while we grown-ups take a break with a game of cards for example.

It is a sad truth, but face it we must. Most of our children are left to themselves to grow up and learn the facts of life. Parents are absolved of feeling guilty about it because we have created educational institutions, community parks, hi-tech amusement parks, coaching classes, dance classes and other must-dos for our children to go to for their "all round" education. Parents themselves have so many social things to do these days, that it suits them fine to keep the little blighters "out of their hair" for as long as possible. So what is the role that we play in our children's lives? One might say, "We feed them and shelter them. Don't we?" But is that all we owe our children? Let us not forget that our children are not just our solace for old age. They are also the next generation that will run the country. When we gracefully give up our space to the next generation, can we truly say that we have done our bit in inculcating the values in our children that we claim is missing from ours? The fact that corruption is eating into our social fabric stares us at our faces. Yet we remain mute spectators and in fact, fit into the system by raising our kids to "survive".

Let us stop the buck here. Let us - the fans of 'sawf'- resolve to take the responsibility seriously. We do not have to wait for 33% reservation of seats in the Parliament to bring about women's empowerment. The proof of our abilities lies not just in how we conduct ourselves publicly, but more importantly, how we perform in our own home fronts. Trying to reason out some of our convictions with the husbands is often like talking to a brick wall - if for no other reason than the simple fact that we both belong to the same generation and are victims of the same prejudices.

It is our children that we should be talking to. It is they who need our gentle words of wisdom and encouragement. Let us mothers graduate good citizens from our homes and send them out, not to fit in, but to build a better world. Only a mother can make the time and she, more than anybody else, has the influence to imbibe good values into a child. Let our homes be the premium educational centers of our countries. In any case, the values that we learn in our homes are the ones that see us through our lives. What we get in academic institutions is a Degree. Important though it is, it does not teach us values any more.

How many schools lay emphasis on a basic value like honesty? Too few! Simple instances of children losing things in school - pencils and erasers for example have larger connotations, because such small things are never recovered. It is very important that we look into our child's school bags every day and question anything found that does not belong. Anything missing must be brought to the notice of the school, and teachers must make an issue of even the smallest of thefts. Honesty must be grilled into our children. Corrupt politicians, bureaucrats etc are not made overnight. They are our own fathers and brothers and sisters.

That women are smart, there is no doubt. The ways in which women manage to run households in whatever income that is provided to them, is amazing. Let us also use our ingenuity to fulfill a larger responsibility that we have - the one towards the country we live in, by producing a generation of honest citizens. It is indeed the most worthy of all contributions towards the country. Only a soldier laying his life down for the country can match it.

"Women"! Know your true value. Let it be a crusade. To produce a generation that is better than ours. A generation that will fight corruption by refusing to take part in it and thus stifling it to a slow death. It does not involve any drastic step. Just a lot of decent citizens who have learnt to live by the rules. Apropos their mothers. And a little help from their fathers?!?

Until we connect again....

Start a discussion on this article