New Delhi: Emphasising the need to nurture moral, religious, and spiritual values among children in the digital era, the Institute of Study and Research, Delhi (ISRD), organised a one-day workshop for children’s writers, publishers, counsellors, and educators in the national capital. The workshop, titled “Intellectual, Moral, and Spiritual Development of the Next Generation,” brought together children’s authors, illustrators, animators, psychologists, teachers, and media content creators to deliberate on emerging trends and responsibilities in children’s literature.
Speakers at the workshop stressed that children’s content must go beyond entertainment and actively contribute to the development of empathy, emotional resilience, honesty, compassion, social awareness, and spiritual consciousness. Sessions focused on ethical storytelling, child psychology, character building, and the responsible transition of content from print to digital platforms.
Addressing the gathering, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President S. Ameenul Hasan underlined that children’s literature should be developed according to three age groups – 0 to 5 years, 5 to 12 years, and 12 to 18 years – to effectively address their psychological and moral needs. He noted that while physical growth occurs naturally, intellectual and psychological maturity is shaped through quality literature. Highlighting the role of writers, he emphasised lullabies, storytelling, age-appropriate presentations of the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and efforts to cultivate Qur’anic understanding among children.
Mr. Hasan cautioned against portraying the Prophet ﷺ as a superhuman figure in children’s writings, stating that such depictions may alienate young readers. He instead advocated a humanised and inspirational presentation of the Seerah, alongside children’s fiction that blends emotional depth, honesty, creativity, adventure, and gentle humour while offering practical solutions to children’s problems.
Bachpan Group Secretary Dr. Siraj Azeem spoke on the psychological and intellectual dimensions of children’s stories and prose, offering practical guidance to authors and publishers on creating engaging and meaningful books.
NCERT Consultant Editor Dr. Parvez Shaharyar, speaking on “Children’s Books: Futuristic Design,” clarified that editing is often mistakenly limited to proofreading. He explained that book production involves four key components – editing, production, marketing, and printing.
CSR Director Dr. Mohammad Rizwan, addressing the theme “Children’s Literature: Language, Imagination, Moral Development, and Social Understanding,” discussed various literary forms and questioned whether animated adaptations of literary works should be considered part of literature. He highlighted the differences between Western and Islamic literary frameworks and warned of growing identity confusion among children and adolescents. He stressed that children’s literature must provide moral clarity, reinforce belief in one Creator, and define the human relationship with God based on divine revelation.
Ms. Shaista Rafat, National Secretary of the JIH Women’s Wing, spoke on contemporary trends, challenges, and the scope of counselling. Drawing from the example of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, she emphasised empathy, confidentiality, respect, and professional competence in counselling, and encouraged women to pursue formal training in family counselling.
In his inaugural address, Zahid Husain, Secretary, JIH Delhi, described children as the architects of a nation’s future and said their education and moral upbringing are a shared responsibility. He noted that Muslim children face increasing intellectual and cultural challenges and called for the expansion of children’s literature through cartoons, films, audio-visual media, and digital platforms.
ISRD Secretary Asif Iqbal stated that the workshop was organised with a special focus on children’s authors writing in English, Hindi, and regional languages, as well as print and digital publishers, psychologists, counsellors, and representatives of NGOs, schools, and organisations working with children. He added that such initiatives address the growing demand for morally sound, psychologically informed, and socially constructive content.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Ameenul Hasan advised writers to read widely, avoid haste, and write only when ideas are original and well-developed. The programme concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants.
