When childhood loses its way

The sweetness of a mother's lullaby for her child never fades. The tune and style of lullabies may differ across the world, but their tenderness remains the same. In Mahakavi Kumaran Asan's short poem Kuttiyum Thallayum, a beautiful picture of innocent childhood comes vividly alive. When the child asks with a smile, “Mother, are those flowers flying away from this creeper?”, the mother replies affectionately, “No, my child, those are beautiful butterflies.” Children are the invaluable treasure of every generation and every nation. Tomorrow's spring and the responsibility of shaping the nation's future rest in their hands. Parents never tire of recounting the mischief and pranks of their children. Even today, little has changed in that regard.

The incident in Karuvatta, Alappuzha, is a reminder that dark shadows are beginning to fall across the radiant faces of children. That a 13-year-old girl allegedly arranged for three friends to kill her grandfather is no trivial matter. More disturbing still is the fact that the girl watched the killing of the elderly man, who had showered her with affection and love, through a video call. Kerala watched with pride as Sharanyamohan, born in a forest-fringe village in Idukki without basic amenities or financial security, studied through hard work and took charge as a doctor in her native place last week. Yet, when the various aspects of the Karuvatta incident are considered, there is little but shame. More than that, we are left deeply concerned about how to protect the tender buds of adolescence from being corrupted and withering away.

The girl allegedly planned the murder to find the money to buy an iPhone for herself and a bike for her boyfriend. Children of earlier generations depended on their parents and close relatives for money. Their desires were largely centred on buying things they liked or books they wanted. As times have changed, those desires have grown faster than the children themselves. The growing number of people willing to resort to any heinous act to fulfil such desires is a frightening prospect for society.

Children once had what seemed like flower-strewn paths ahead of them. They grew up surrounded by the love and affection of several members of the family. That was often enough to help them forget small disappointments and sorrows. Family relationships, however, have changed. In nuclear families, fewer people seem willing to love one another and open their hearts. Many display affection outwardly merely for the sake of appearances. Marriages are increasingly being broken or destroyed over trivial matters. And it is the children in those families who ultimately bear the consequences.

There is little point in dissecting every detail of who the main villain in the Karuvatta incident was or what circumstances led to it. Everyone must open their eyes to the ways in which the unchecked spread of social media and the misuse of mobile phones are leading children astray. Authorities, social organisations and voluntary groups must come together to discuss how this can be prevented. Nor should appropriate punishment for such brutal acts be denied merely because they were committed during childhood. The use of mobile phones in schools must be regulated.

There are also many parents who buy expensive mobile phones for their children, leave them to their own devices and remain absorbed in their own comforts. Such parents should not forget that those who fail to discharge their responsibilities and remain vigilant may eventually have to pay a heavy price. The responsibility of clearing the stones and thorns from children's path cannot be neglected.