COVID-19 and Children of India

 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent preventive measures for spreading have disrupted nearly every aspect of children’s lives including health, development, learning, behaviour, their families’ economic condition, protection from violence and abuse.

About 41% of India’s population is less than 18 years of age and their mental health issues are of great concern during and post-pandemic period. These effects are not limited to health and well-being only, but extend into many dimensions of children’s lives including their education, safety and poverty (UNICEF).

There is a general perception that the Corona virus does not affect children, but there are reports of children below 12 years of age becoming infected in India, although fewer as compared to other age groups (New Indian Express).

Due to lockdown, many children had no physical access to friends, school-mates and relatives for over 8 months. Limited or no opportunity for outdoor play and socialization has impacted children in an adverse way, making them frustrated and angry. However, many children are active in mobile phones and virtual communications. This also raises the possibility of higher engrossment in online entertainment. Increased digital connections can also result in emotional contagion, where the distress and fear experienced by one spread to other persons (Gao et al, 2020).

Children, who lost one or both parents in the pandemic, have become vulnerable. The pandemic has also created havoc among the marginalized children. It has hit the children of poor families the most. The exodus of migrant workers from cities has severely affected the well-being of their children. Homelessness is another serious concern facing the impoverished, as many of them have violently faced eviction.

COVID-19 has made the lives of the children of marginalized section more difficult and has made them vulnerable to insecurity and exploitation. The child-traffickers have become active to take advantage of the situation arisen due to the pandemic. The media has disclosed the online sexual exploitation of children by unscrupulous people.

The poverty, during and post-pandemic loss of jobs, lack of opportunities have pushed the vulnerable children to abuse and exploitation, child labour and to various forms of law violations and delinquencies.

Although the Government of India and the state governments have tried their best along with the civil society organizations and other agencies to feed the marginalized sections during the pandemic, the large scale exodus of migrant workers along with their children disclosed the sincerity and empathy of our bureaucrats, political leaders and volunteers in controlling the situation.

The pandemic has given birth to a new section of orphans, whose parents lost their lives in the virus infection. These children are most vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

The closure of schools and Aanganwadi centres has hit the learning process, education and nutrition of children. Above all, the pandemic has deprived a large chunk of child population from nutritious food and necessary medical care in rural and semi-urban areas. Online education is a story of mockery in poverty stricken tribal areas and many rural areas of India.

When the phase-wise unlock process is going on, the government agencies and organizations working for the children should now focus on the psychological, physical, educational and social issues and multi-pronged strategies should be adopted to make them comfortable and cozy. Prevention of crimes against them and prevention of their entry into crimes should be the priority of the government in post-pandemic period.   

AGNI DASH