Srinagar, Sept. 12 -- A child who once needed help tying shoelaces begins choosing friends independently. A teenager who once asked permission for everything starts making decisions outside the home. Then one day, that child leaves for university, takes a job in another city, gets married, travels abroad, or simply begins living a life that parents can no longer supervise every hour. At that stage, a difficult truth becomes clear: One day, we will not be there to guide every decision our children make. That is why the real purpose of parenting cannot be only to raise obedient children. It must be to raise responsible adults. Obedience has its place.

A young child must learn not to run into traffic, not to touch a hot stove, not to hit ot...