SAVE THE KIDS
    Date :18-Jun-2020

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THE dirty side of any armed conflict is the untold misery it pours on innocent lives. A United Nations report has verified over 25,000 grave violations against children in armed conflict last year thus exposing the harsh price that tender lives have to pay for no fault of theirs. The disturbing part of the findings is that more than half of the violations in 2019 were committed by non-state actors. Over 10,000 children lost their lives while many were subjected to abuse, torture, and rape. This is the sad reality of terrorism that unleashes utter monstrosity in the name of “struggle against the State”. Afghanistan and Pakistan are living examples of how terrorism is bred and allowed to spread tentacles under official patronage. Recent bombing on a children’s hospital in Kabul and before that a dastardly attack on a school in Pakistan underscore the barbaric thinking of terror groups. The UN report suggests criminal neglect by governments in having preventive measures to protect the children. The kids hold a right to live with freedom and dignity.
 
‘UNREALISTIC’ ALREADY
 
facing an uncertain future due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Twenty20 World Cup’s fate seems to have been finally sealed after host board Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings stating that chances of the event in Australia seem “unrealistic”. This is the true sentiment from the host country notwithstanding the dilly-dallying stand of the International Cricket Council (ICC) over holding the tournament. When most countries are still reeling under the COVID-19 spike despite measures in place the prospects of getting teams from 16 countries in Australia are fraught with danger. The ICC is still dragging its feet on the issue, deferring the decision to hold the WT20 but the move seems to be futile and eventually it will have to cancel the tournament. When a huge event like the Olympics can take a quick call of postponement by one year, the ICC dawdling is quite surprising. Whether it is borne out of some internal politics with member nations or not, it is time for the world body to come out clean.