Baccho Me Charitra Nirman Disha Aur Dayitva

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Bachcho me Charitra Nirman: Disha aur Dayitva" (Character Building in Children: Direction and Responsibility) by Uday Jaroli, based on the provided pages:

The article critically examines the current state of character building in children, highlighting a significant disconnect between societal aspirations and the prevailing realities. The author argues that while everyone desires well-charactered children, the adults themselves are often the root cause of the problem due to widespread corruption, dishonesty, and a focus on material success.

The Problem of Moral Decay in Adults:

• Hypocrisy and Rationalization: Adults lament the lack of character in children while their own actions are often contradictory. They justify dishonesty, corruption, and bribery as necessary for survival or for providing for their families. Businessmen, officials, and even truck drivers admit to engaging in unethical practices, often rationalizing it as a requirement in a flawed system.
• Societal Corruption: The author contends that corruption, greed, theft, and deceit are pervasive, and these are often done "in the name of children." This creates a fundamentally flawed environment for children to learn from.

The Challenge of Character Building Across Different Social Strata:

The author analyzes the distinct challenges faced by children from various socioeconomic backgrounds:

• Destitute Children: Children born in poverty on streets, in slums, or at bus stations lack basic necessities like food, clothing, and education. Their mothers, often laborers, cannot provide adequate care. These children are prone to begging, crime, and a life of exploitation, making character building an insurmountable challenge in their circumstances.
• Middle Class Children: Parents in this group are more concerned with their children securing a job or progressing in their careers than with their character development. The immediate goal is financial stability.
• Affluent/Elite Children: Parents in this class often believe that honesty and virtue lead to poverty. They prioritize sending their children to expensive schools to acquire English fluency, manners, and qualifications for high-ranking positions, rather than instilling moral values. Mothers, often preoccupied with social activities, delegate childcare and character development to hired help or schools. They may even view Indian traditions and philosophy as outdated and prefer a Westernized education.

The Role of Parents and Teachers:

• Fathers' Abdication: Fathers often pass on the responsibility of character building to mothers and teachers, focusing instead on earning a livelihood. Their own compromised characters, marked by lies and unethical practices observed by their children, set a poor example.
• Mothers' Influence: The mother's influence is paramount, starting from conception. The author cites the concept of Abhimanyu's learning in the womb and the importance of a pregnant mother maintaining a pure and elevated lifestyle, consuming virtuous literature, and avoiding stress and negativity.
• Teachers' Limitations: Teachers today face numerous challenges:
  • Low Morale and Poor Conditions: Teachers are often underpaid, neglected, and burdened with personal and financial problems, leading to disillusionment.
  • Focus on Examinations: The entire system, including parents, teachers, institutions, and the government, is geared towards passing exams and obtaining degrees, often through unfair means.
  • Lack of Role Models: Teachers themselves often lack the strong character and dedication needed to inspire children. Many are involved in politics, factions within schools, and even personal vices like smoking and drinking, directly contradicting their teachings.
  • Curriculum Restrictions: Government regulations often prevent the teaching of spirituality, religion, philosophy, and culture, leaving only a narrow, career-oriented education.
  • Loss of Authority: Parents are quick to defend their children even when they misbehave, and laws discourage teachers from asserting discipline.

The Pervasive Influence of Negative Role Models and Environment:

The article strongly criticizes the modern environment that shapes children's minds:

• Media and Entertainment: Children's role models are increasingly actors and politicians, not saints or heroes. Cinema posters, popular songs promoting alcohol and illicit relationships, films glorifying violence and obscenity, and celebrity gossip magazines all contribute to a distorted worldview. Children readily memorize film dialogues and actor names, while traditional literature and heroes are ignored.
• Political Corruption: Children witness politicians achieving success through manipulation, deceit, and corruption. They see the cycle of money, power, and pleasure, as well as broken promises and scandals, which instills cynicism and a belief that unethical means lead to success.
• Societal Indifference: The author points to the government's failure to provide basic education, adequate school infrastructure, and healthcare, while lavishly spending on other areas. This indifference, coupled with the prevalence of child labor, malnutrition, and exploitation, creates a breeding ground for delinquency.

The Way Forward - A Call to Action:

Despite the grim picture, the author proposes a multi-faceted approach to improving character building:

• Parental Responsibility: Parents must lead by example, embodying honesty, virtue, and simplicity. Mothers should actively engage in their children's moral education, especially during pregnancy. They need to instill values of frugality, social awareness, and courage to confront injustice.
• Teacher's Dedication: Teachers must rise above personal issues and dedicate themselves to imparting not just knowledge but also a life philosophy. They need to be exemplary in their conduct and strive to create a positive learning environment.
• Role of Institutions: Philanthropic and social service organizations have a crucial role to play, especially for underprivileged children. They should:
  • Provide Virtuous Literature: Promote and distribute good literature and moral stories.
  • Support Pregnant Mothers: Offer guidance and resources to expectant mothers.
  • Establish Schools: Create educational institutions that impart practical knowledge along with ethical teachings and spiritual values.
  • Train Teachers: Employ dedicated teachers who are role models themselves.
  • Focus on the Disadvantaged: Prioritize the education and upbringing of children from deprived backgrounds, diverting funds from non-essential religious expenditures towards their welfare.
• Government Action: The government must:
  • Enforce Laws: Strictly enforce laws against child labor, exploitation, and the dissemination of obscene literature.
  • Improve Infrastructure: Ensure adequate facilities in schools and healthcare for children.
  • Reform Media: Regulate media content, prohibiting the depiction of alcohol, obscenity, and violence, and promoting educational content for children.
  • Address Social Issues: Tackle the root causes of crime, such as poverty and lack of education.
  • Support Social Organizations: Provide grants and support to NGOs working for child welfare and education.
• Societal Change: There needs to be a collective shift in societal values, moving away from corruption and greed towards integrity and social responsibility. Politicians and wealthy individuals must lead by example.

In conclusion, the article is a strong indictment of the societal and systemic failures that hinder character development in children. It calls for a radical transformation in the behavior and priorities of parents, educators, institutions, and the government to create an environment where children can truly flourish and become virtuous individuals. The author emphasizes that without addressing the pervasive corruption and negative influences, any efforts at character building will remain superficial and ineffective.