Clearly, enough is not being done to prevent premature deaths. To tell the truth, the Unicef report has brought into light a much neglected area. Governments or even social organisations have never really done anything to prevent deaths of children from injuries. The situation has been aggravated by the fact that an unusually high number of road accidents take place in this country. Furthermore, street children in the cities and towns are an uncared for lot and highly vulnerable to accidents.

What is missing is concern or a bit of compassion for the children. Roads in the city have uncovered manholes in many places and snapped electric wires are not an uncommon sight. Children become the worst sufferers when little attention is paid to such hazards.

The report should awaken our society to the presence of an ever growing menace. Unicef has suggested that the government spend more to prevent injuries as it did to combat some fatal diseases. Obviously, the task here is more complicated as there is no clear target to aim at. But generally speaking, matters will improve if we can reduce the number of road accidents, launch disasters, fires and all such mishaps. However, what is needed urgently is a sympathetic understanding of the problems that children are facing. A greater sensitivity must be shown to their cause. A fatalistic acceptance of what is going on is the last thing that we expect from the decision makers.

We cannot let children die in circumstances about which we have a great deal to do.