Page 116 - SocialHarmony

120 Social Harmony

go to another house someday. Whether she stays with us or
goes to another house, she is an apple of our eye and we cannot
leave her unsupported. Our tradition talks about Kanyadan
(donating a daughter) at the time of her marriage, which is
believed to bring great virtue to the parents. God is all-knowing
and wise; now even He will not accept Kanyadan without
Vidyadan (donating education). An educated daughter is well
equipped to face any challenge that life may throw at her. She
will be eternally grateful to her parents for providing her a good
education before her marriage.

Fault-finders claim that there are a large number of
uneducated people in Modi’s state. My counter-argument is that
if some elderly people, some of whom are even older than me,
are uneducated, it is not my fault. However, leaving this criticism
aside, I am interested in educating the future generation. In the
blistering heat of summer, the Chief Minister, other ministers
and government officials of Gujarat are roaming the villages
only because we are interested in making the younger
generation educated, prosperous and capable. The government
has chalked out an entire campaign for this. We have waived
the bus fare of all girls who wish to pursue further studies. We
have ensured that a girl child can obtain education without any
expense to her family. Even after so many efforts, if children do
not study, who is to blame? The situation can improve only if
parents take up the responsibility for their children’s education.
If our bullock falls ill, we go to great lengths to locate the best
vet and spend money on its treatment. We are so concerned
about our bullocks, but not for our own children. What can be
worse than this?

Caring for the Health of Children
The State Government has made numerous plans targeted

at children’s education. We arrange medical check-ups for
children, which reveal astounding results. Every year, almost
30 per cent children are found to have weak eyes. We provide
them with spectacles. If we had not checked their eyes at such a
young age, their parents would not have come to know about