Sensitising Children

Becoming better human beings is no child's play

- Smt. Manjula Shukla

The other day I was in the park for my evening walk. It is a relatively small one with a walking track, two courts for badminton, a garden and the play area with swings and slides. Somehow a cat had wandered in and was snoozing next to the court, quite undisturbed by the players.

A little boy, around four or five years of age, was walking around on his own and almost tripped over the feline. It snarled and moved away, then curled up and again went into a position of repose. The child was quite scared in the beginning. Then he gathered up his courage and went close to the cat and banged his foot on the ground. This time the cat was startled, it mewed and fled to another part of the garden.

This was a major victory for the little one and now he became a predator. He would follow the cat, go up close and scare it with a shout or a sudden gesture. When the cat would be frightened, he would laugh and continue seeking thrills. Now his walk was a swagger. He had discovered the heady rush of power and the joy of exercising it.