November 14 is the birth anniversary of independent India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Children’s Day or Bal Diwas, in Hindi, is a day when students across schools enjoy various activities, participate in debates and other extra-curricular activities.
Pandit Nehru is fondly called ‘Chacha Nehru’. The most popular reason behind the coinage of this term for him was his love for children.
It was for his special love towards children that he came to be known as Chacha or the favourite uncle for the children of the country. November 14 is marked as Children’s Day to commemorate the man, the freedom fighter and the first Prime Minister of a free India.
Before his death, India used to celebrate Children’s Day along with the world on November 20. However, after Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru’s death in 1964, it was decided unanimously to commemorate his birth anniversary as Children’s Day in the country.
On this day, chocolates and gifts are often distributed among children, while schools organize different events. It is also a common practice to distribute gifts like clothes, toys and books to orphan children on this day.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had once said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country”.
