I sat down to research on corporal punishment and I got an endless list of news articles on it. This proves that corporal punishment continues to be practiced in India. There is no point in narrating the same incidents or using them as examples as I assume readers already know about such incidents. While it is a good topic for debate and discussion, one cannot ignore the gravity of it. Undoubtedly, corporal punishment is a crime. It is a sensitive issue as the victims are small kids as a lot of times such issues go unreported.
Children are fragile beings and they need to be treated with respect because how they are treated at a younger age affects their self confidence as an adolescent and sometimes even as an adult. A young mind is vulnerable and sensitive to the environment and it is the responsibility of parents and teachers alike to build their self-confidence and to help them discover their self worth. School is the place where children are taught discipline. When they fail to adhere to the rules or are party to minor mischief, they are often taught a lesson in a very harsh way. Very often they are caned or badly beaten which sometimes even results into minor physical injuries.
Children are frightened and if they are shy, they even fail to report such incidents to their parents. As a result, they silently suffer. In some cases, only when physical marks are visible, parents understand the gravity of the situation and take action. Very often children who are victims of corporal punishment do not want to go to school. A healthy relationship between parents and children is needed so that they can share such experiences with their parents. Schools should also take action against such teachers who deal with young kids harshly.
Strict laws should be framed to curb corporal punishment. All schools should lay down guidelines for teachers against inflicting physical harm to students, which also have an impact emotionally and scars their psyche. Any perpetrator of this crime if caught should be punished severely. In countries abroad, students are treated with respect and even young kids are addressed as Mr or Miss. Similar habits should be practiced even here. India is a rapidly progressing economy. However, we fail to address simple issues like corporate punishment which can severely damage the health and well being of a young kid. It is time to raise such topics for discussion and take adequate measures to restore the self image of young kids.
