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Kathmandu Sunday May 27, 2001 Jestha 14, 2058.
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Children
status
Apantheon of political leaders, corporate leaders and
youngsters from South Asia have stressed investment in children as a top priority on a
mission to alleviate poverty. At a time when the country’s education sector is
passing through testing times, the recently concluded two-day South Asia High Level
Meeting’s prescriptions for enhancing the quality of life for children and preserving
their rights could not have come at a more opportune time. Despite organising numerous
conferences, the living standard of children has deteriorated in the last decade or so. It
is surprising that a big and extravagant occasion has to be organised in the capital to
drive home the gnawing problem of low status of children. What is even more surprising is
that the authorities concerned either fail to implement the policies recommended by a host
of seminars and conferences, or are totally indifferent to the suggestions offered. Given
defective policy and poor implementation mechanisms, conferences have become farcical.
What’s the use of such conferences if their recommendations cannot figure in policy
papers? Due to this, the public are getting increasingly disenchanted with meetings and
elaborate seminars held in posh hotels.
Child mortality in Nepal is the highest in the region.
Illiteracy too is high. Child labour is reaching alarming proportions. This is the reality
the people of one of the poorest of poor countries have to live with. Without nourishing
food and clean drinking water, without access to education and health care services,
millions of Nepali children are living in pathetic conditions. Such deprivations and
grievances are more pronounced in the rural areas. Are these children doomed to such a
fate for ever? Is there any light at the end of the tunnel? Every year, when the budget is
unveiled, it disappoints the education and health sectors the most. Last year too, the
picture was the same. Though the government allocated a huge proportion of the budget
supposedly to step up security measures and contain the Maoist insurgency, the two crucial
sectors, as usual, failed to attract attention. With poor investment in health and
education, it is ridiculous to talk of socio-economic development. With poverty
alleviation as its one and the only goal, the Ninth Plan has embarked on an ambitious
mission to bring about dramatic socio-economic change in a short time. But with unbalanced
budget allocation, and lack of proper coordination between the Ministry of Finance and the
National Planing Commission, it will be little wonder the Plan turns out to be a disaster.
When it comes to signing accords on the rights of children,
our political leaders and social activists are all too pleased to fulfil the international
obligations. Back at home, poor and needy children are yet to feel the effect and essence
of those signed agreements. Even as the government and political analysts preach
relentlessly about good governance, the pillars of the nation continue to sink deeper into
pitch dark. Good governance is not just a salable slogan to generate donations from
abroad. Instead it is a responsibility of the democratically elected government, and
undoubtedly includes the rights of children to live a decent and secure life. Which means
the government has to be more rational and generous while setting aside funds to invest in
human resource development.
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