1. As we celebrate India’s
69th
Independence Day, it’s
time to ponder if we are
doing enough, as parents,
to instill key values to
help our children become
responsible citizens.
Raising
aproactive
generation

2. M
ahatma Gandhi, the architect
of India’s Independence, once
said, “Literacy is not the end
of education or even the
beginning. By education I mean an
all-round drawing out of the best in the
child and man-body, mind and spirit.”
There’s no better way to celebrate another
Independence Day than by resolving to
uphold the amazing Gandhian values.
Don’t we owe it to our country which
has a unique blend of history, culture and
tradition? All parents want to see their
children blossom into great individuals in
every respect. But, given our 24/7 lifestyle
which is seemingly thankless, we often
tend to overlook the macro issues of a
child’s development. Are our children
understanding the pride and responsibility
of being a citizen of the great nation
we live in?
Nearly seven decades after Independence,
we live in an atmosphere that breeds
complacency and disregard for the laws
that are the backbone of this democracy.
Value systems are at a serious risk and
unfortunately our next generation is
picking this up from us if recent surveys
are anything to go by. The Yuva Nagric
Meter (YNM), a survey conducted by the
Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness
(CMCA) in 2014, to study democratic
citizenship values and attitudes among the
youth, yielded shocking results. The survey
showed that a vast majority of Indian
youth are unaware of civic responsibility,
and have extremely negative opinions on
social issues*.
START EARLY
The need of the hour is to raise active,
aware and accountable citizens and that
has to begin when children are very
young. Sarah Jose, visiting faculty, Indian
Constitution at the Mount Carmel College,
Bengaluru says, “The most important
thing to remember is that children learn
a lot from what we do. In the case of
my own children, there have never been
any deliberate attempt to teach these
values directly. They have learnt them by
subconsciously assimilating what we do.
Subtle nuances in parental behaviour are
picked up by children. They constantly
assimilate what they see and hear around
them. I never realised until my friend told
me that I greet beggars approaching me for
alms, with a smile. I don’t give them money,
but I make eye contact, acknowledging
them as human beings with the same rights
and needs like the rest of us. Without
me realising it, my children have imbibed
this sense of respect and empathy for
another being. In fact, isn’t that what social
responsibility is all about? My children have,
from a very young age, been taught to
talk to people politely. I have made them
understand that there is dignity in every
form of labour. For instance, my children
know that they need to clean up things
themselves, and not leave a mess for the
maid to clean. These are attitudes that need
to be cultivated from a very early age.”
DEMOCRACY AT HOME
It is no secret that values education begins
at home. How do you teach children
about democracy, when their immediate
environment is largely dictatorial? In
most households, children are taught
to do as they are told instead of parents

3. reasoning out with them or involving them
in the decision-making process. Ashish Patel,
National Coordinator, Civic Club Programme,
says, “Our experience has only corroborated
what is universally acknowledged: Young
people imbibe democratic values best when
the classroom environment is open, free and
participatory. In other words, democratic
classrooms nurture democratic values. CMCA's
Yuva Nagarik Meter survey validated this.
Students who had a positive experience at
home showed better democratic citizenship
scores. The implications for parents are obvious
and intuitive. Children, especially teenagers
are least likely to respond to explicit preaching
of citizenship values. A positive, open and
participative atmosphere at home, where
the opinions of the children are heard, and
where parents themselves display democratic
citizenship values are more likely to nurture
children into model citizens.”
SOCIAL ISSUES
Even as the world has seen a digital explosion
in every aspect of life, we continue to trail
when it comes to key social issues. It is very
important that we teach our children important
issues like equality, tolerance, compassion
and civility. These issues may or may not
directly impact your child, but they clearly are
impacting the larger world.
Ask any child and he will tell you that his
concerns revolve around his own needs and
desires. School, play time, friends and
home - while these are essential to any child’s
well-being, they are not the be-all and end-all.
The only way to break apathy and disregard
for various issues that shape the nation, is to
discuss them with children at home. Suhasini
B, a mother of two, says, “There are many
situations that you face every day, which
can be turned into a learning experience for
children. When our family is dining out at a
restaurant and we see a child working there,
my husband and I usually raise questions with
the management about why that child isn’t in
school. Similarly, a chance advertisement on
television can be the entry point to a debate
about gender equality.” Professor Maitrayee
Chaudhuri, Chairperson, Centre for the Study
of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, says that a
flagrant ignorance of civic issues stems from
THE DUTIES OF A CITIZEN
• To know your civic responsibilities and fulfil
them.
• To coexist peacefully with fellow humans,
irrespective of their cultural or religious ilk.
• To know your basic rights as a citizen and
employ them to achieve your aspirations.
• To be aware and mindful of laws and policies.
• To be empathetic towards the less-privileged
in the society.
• To engage in resolving social issues.
• To stand up for your own rights and those of
others who may not be able to do so.
• To participate actively in the election process
and to hold the elected government
accountable.
• To opt for a lifestyle that is sustainable to
the ecological environment as well as to the
country’s resources.
• To respect everyone’s choice or lifestyle
without bias or judgement.
*(For full report visit - http://www.cmcaindia org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/YNM_findings-booklet.pdf).

4. an underlying social issue. "We are used
to living in a democracy and we take it for
granted. Therefore, we do not recognise
our privileges as free citizens," she says.
Rakesh Senger, Project Director, Bachpan
Bachao Andolan (an initiative of Nobel Prize
winner Kailash Satyarthi) says, “We have
started a new initiative My house is child-
labour free where the onus is completely on
children. As a part of this initiative, we give
out stickers to students of various schools.
The students are asked to put up the sticker
on their doors if their house is child labour-
free. This campaign is working wonders as
children are now increasingly aware that
issues like child labour are serious – a step,
we believe, in the right direction.”
ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
What does citizenship mean on a day-to-
day basis? It refers to respecting rules and
regulations, respecting civic amenities, not
littering, being aware of the changes in the
governing laws and policies in the country
and caring about how they impact us. Are
our children playing an active role here?
In terms of active citizenship too, Sarah
feels that actions speak much louder than
words. “When the driver tries to overtake a
vehicle from the wrong side or tries to jump
the lights, I am always quick to correct him.
If we are standing in a queue, and someone
tries to jump it, I speak up. I realise now
that it is important for children to learn to
respect these norms and laws. Children
learn that it is necessary to stand up for
what you believe is right and to question
things when they are wrong,” she says.
As children grow to become tomorrow’s
citizens, it is important they understand
the political system too at a fairly young
age. Suhasini adds, “Election time is an
opportunity for us to sit down with our
children to discuss the responsibility of
electing our leaders. We often ask them
what they would want to change if they
were to be elected. We feel strongly that
children should be taught while young to
care about the power and responsibility in
the hands of the citizens of the country.
From how the government is elected to
policy making, they should genuinely care
about what is going on.’
In the famous words of Dr Seuss, “Unless
someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
Let us all begin to care and begin now;
let us take this country to new heights by
enabling each child to be the best citizen
they can be.
So, this Independence Day, take an oath to
do your bit to raise responsible citizens.
For more help with raising your child to be a good citizen, visit
www.parentcircle.com and view the ClipBook 'Civic Sense: Where do we stand"
Box 3
(Can we put the findings of YNM survey here?)
Civic education woes – Not just an Indian problem
A study titled Youth Civic Development & Education conducted
by Stanford University in the US in 2013, expressed deep
concerns over the state of civic education in the US. The study
observed, “Civic education as practiced in schools throughout
the United States is not preparing students for effective
participation in civic life. Few young people are sufficiently
motivated to become engaged in civic and political activity.” The
study called upon teachers to “creatively incorporate interactive,
participatory, controversial, challenging, relevant, inclusive, and
inspiring assignments and activities, so that students are not
simply learning history by memorizing dates and historical facts,
but rather developing civic understanding.”