The UN Observes Children’s Day on 20 November, But We Don’t. Why?

Nehru was passionate about children and growth. It is only fitting that we celebrate his birthday as Children’s Day.

Children dressed up as Chacha Nehru pay floral tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of his birth anniversary in Allahabad. (Photo Courtesy: PTI)

Isn't it odd that the United Nations began observing Universal Children's Day on 20 November since 1959 at the behest of India's Union Minister VK Krishna Menon and yet India observes its own Children's Day on 14 November since 1964, the year Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru died?

However, that isn’t tough to answer. Nehru's popularity among children was well known.

The man simply knew how important it was to nurture future generations. His thoughts on the subject are legendary.

Children are like buds in a garden and should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they are the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Nehru created iconic educational institutions in India to shape the children’s growth story.

The Indian Institute of Technology was first established in 1951 and was said to be modelled after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The institutions quickly established themselves as world class centres for education.

The National Institute of Design was established in Ahmedabad in 1961 as an “autonomous institute for the research, service and training in industrial design.”

Establishment of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had taken place on early 1900s but Nehru gave it a deemed university status. This was another perfect example of Jawaharlal Nehru’s commitment to education at the time.

Dr Vikram Sarabhai. (Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia)

He also helped establish other iconic institutions at that time, with the help of geniuses like Vikram Sarabhai the famed scientist who was also friends with nuclear physicist Dr Homi Bhabha and Dr CV Raman’s protege.

Led by Vikram Sarabhai, Shri. Kasturbhai Lalbhai and supported by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Jivraj Mehta, a group of individuals set up the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

Jawaharlal Nehru with Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon in 1960. (Photo Courtesy: Frontline)

During Nehru’s tenure as Prime Minister, India witnessed establishment of major institutions such as the IIMs, AIIMS, DRDO, ISRO etc.

He wrote books such as The Discovery of India, to educate the children about the country’s rich legacy.

The cover of the first US edition of The Discovery of India. (Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia)

Aware of the importance of parental interaction and guidance for a child, his letters sent to his daughter Indira were to later become books. He had written them to her from the jail where he served sentences for participating in the Indian freedom struggle.

(Photo Courtesy: Amazon)

It was only fitting then, that after the death of this great statesman, the then Union Defence Minister VK Krishna Menon proposed that India begin observing Children’s Day on Nehru’s birth Anniversary.