'Why don’t countries want to be happy?': 10-year-old shares his views with WION on the Russia-Ukraine war
The image that inspired the writer to write this article
-by Neev Tanish Sinha
Editor's note: The writer of this articleis an Indian student of Grade IV. A voracious reader and a Potter head, Neev reached out to WION about wanting to share his thoughts on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war after he stumbled upon an image on the internet of children huddled in a bunker somewhere in Ukraine. The following article has been published as received.
An image of children huddled inside a bunker stared at me this morning. All around ten years, approximately my age, hiding in Ukraine to save from their enemy, Russia. Why are Russia and Ukraine enemies? I asked and googled. I gathered, Russia claims a part of Ukraine as theirs and wants the country to surrender. But, if they believe that a part of the country belongs to them then why are they bombing themselves?
The children in the image wore Covid-19 masks, sadness visible in their eyes. Evident, that they were separated from their families. When would they get together again? Would everyone be alive? Their houses would remain? The children looked pale and scared. I felt, they were waiting to be free and hug their loved ones.
Did I see in their eyes, the fear of getting orphaned? I remember reading Oliver Twist, an orphan who was ill-treated and abused, living in constant fear of doing something unapproved and getting beaten up. Oliver had escaped. Would there be an Oliver in these children?
Was the bunker hygenic? Did they get their food? If any of them would get high fever, would a doctor attend? How long would it take for them to get back to school – I wondered sitting inside my classroom that had just opened after the long COVID situation. Would their schools still be there? Or would they be destroyed! I pray for them, hoping they’d return to their comfort and safety soon.
I spoke to my parents about wars. They are as clueless as I am.
The other day I saw a clip of people fleeing from Afghanistan. They climbed on either side of the airplane and even on top, legs dangling out of the door, desperate to run from their own country, to be able to live a life of their choice. How would they resettle, where would they find dignity,are amongmany unanswered questions of mine. I started reading about wars. I wish I didn’t. War is all about blood and death, disability and trauma. The India-Pakistan disputes have led to many wars in the past. We were once the same country, now separated. The relationships between countries are not as simple as mine with my best friend. We disagree and eventually one of us lets go. We choose to be friends because that makes us happy. Why don’t countries want to be happy?
People kill each other in a war. Many soldiers return disabled, some never return.
But still, wars happen.Countries become enemies.Two beautiful geographies that can offer tourism to each other, where people come to learn and experience art, choose the path of destruction instead.
I remember reading books with stories of wars. 'The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank' introduced me to the fears and loneliness of a thirteen-year-old during World War II when the Germans were killing the Jews. The Franks were hiding in a secret annex above the father’s office, sharing space with another family, cut off from the world outside.After two years of hiding, they were betrayed and the family was arrested. Anne Frank’s diary ended abruptly; so did her life. The children in the bunker reminds me of Anne Frank. I feel uncomfortable.
Another book,' Wonder' by R. J. Palacio briefly touches upon a grandmother’s childhood when Germans came to France and Jews were fleeing. A young boy with deformed legs sarcastically called Tourteau, helped her to escape when Jew children – crying, pleading, frightened – were being taken hostage. She kept in hiding for two years and never saw her mother again. For how long would the children in Ukraine have to stay inside the bunker?
John Boyne’s 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' showed the life of the prisoners living in severe conditions – under-fed, overworked and subjected to extreme cruelty. This book, I don’t want to think about.
In my school, we don’t talk about the war. I hear about it at home. On my mother’s WhatsApp, I find people sending jokes and memes about war. They must not have read these books or seen the images. I heard from my father about the news correspondents reporting from the war front, going out and taking cover at regular intervals, telling the world what is happening there. I hope and I pray that their work ends at the earliest. I also wait for them to declare that the bunker is empty now and the children have been sent back home.
About the writer:
Neev is a student of Grade IV. He believes he is capable of every Spiderman stunt except side-flip and back-flip. He aims to be a cricketer when he grows up. He hopes to master every form and position of the sport. His inspiration is India’s ex-skipper MS Dhoni.
Science is his favourite subject in school. He also loves to test different features in the computer and has learned many applications by himself. Neev is very fond of Literature. He has read all the Harry Potter books except one and owns the entire collection of Tintin comics. He is now reading The Famous Five series. Other than being a voracious reader, Neev is an aspiring author.
