The well-known American anthropologist Margaret Mead has said children must be taught how to think, not what to think. According to Russian philosopher and journalist  Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the soul is healed by being with children.  Coming closer home Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence, has told us that if we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children. Children have the virtue of trusting faith in their parents, teachers and others but they are vulnerable. We cannot and must not let them down. 

It is with such enlightened reflections and guidance that Sri Lanka yesterday celebrated International Children’s Day on a national scale, with the main event being held in Jaffna and the theme being  “a benevolent land that dazzles the world with a child-friendly environment”. The celebrations centred on practical factors--to protect a child’s basic rights, such as food, education and freedom while creating a caring environment where the children will enjoy the love of family, school and the society.

Wonderful words indeed. But words mean little till they are put into action and bear fruit. We hope the new national government—whose vision should not be so much for the next election but for the next generation - will practise what it preaches unlike former regimes which preach a lot but practise little and eventually paid a heavy price for it.  All the way from the United Nations headquarters in New York, President Maithripala Sirisena—in the afterglow of his widely-acclaimed address to the 70th session of the General Assembly - sent an inspiring message to mark Children’s Day. 

He said that not only October 1, but every day should be committed to the safety of children so that they would be secure in their lives and aspirations. The President called on parents, elders and the society to commit themselves to love and safeguard children. While noting that the National Government has already taken steps in that direction, the President said parents and society as a whole must join this cause to safeguard the children from impending disasters. “Parents must realize that their constant attention is an assurance of the child’s safety and any lapse in attention means that the child is unsafe and it is an open invitation for possible harm,” he said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a message said the country should protect and safeguard children by understanding their mind-set, treating them with loving care, safeguarding them against suffering and pressure directed from society and family and strengthening them to face the challenges of life.



Referring to recent incidents, such as the horrifying rape and murder of a girl child at  Kotadeniyawa, the Premier said sexual abuse of children had become a social catastrophe. He pledged an extended programme would be launched to eliminate sexual unrest in society, widen sex education, provide a proper understanding of gender issues and develop cultural and moral values among the people.

The National Child Protection Authority’s new Chairperson Natasha Balendra expressed similar sentiments. In a state TV interview yesterday she appealed to parents and elder family members to give more time and attention to what the child was doing or saying. Giving more quality time for a heart to heart communication with children was a sacred responsibility not only for mothers but also for fathers, grandparents and other elders in the family. If the children knew they could communicate with parents or family members specially at times when they were facing some trouble or crisis, they would come to the family and not seek misguided advice from elsewhere. Dr. Balendra called on parents to also broaden their outlook and take note of what was happening even to other children in the neighbourhood or the school. 

Besides the families, the principals and teachers of schools, religious leaders and monks or priests also need to give more attention, loving guidance and direction to children, so that Sri Lanka could protect, preserve and celebrate its greatest treasure - our children - who will be the future leaders of a new multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Sri Lanka.