Labourers, many from different parts of India, are seated on the pavement. Every time a vehicle goes past them toward the compound, they stand up, pinning their hopes on the arrival of an officer. The wait is for their child under the custody of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), and their hope is that their child will be returned.
At a time when Norway's child welfare system is in the news for its contentious decision to take two Indian children into custody, a look at the process adopted by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), a similar government agency here, to identify the rightful custodian of “neglected” or “abandoned” children in the city shows how painfully insensitive it is to the needs of the child or the parents.
The scene witnessed recently, along the lane leading to the CWC premises in Purasawalkam in Chennai, simply reflects the agony of migrant labourers trying to obtain their children who had gone missing.
Santoshi and Gabbar, migrant workers from Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, were waiting with their two sons. “Our daughter Lakshmi (8) was taken by the police on Pongal day last week. We were buying sweets near the Marina beach and suddenly, three police officers took her away,” said Santoshi on Friday, breaking down as she explained that they had been coming there every other day during that week.
Buying sweets or begging?
Luckily for her, the CWC concluded its proceedings later that evening and returned the couple's daughter. According to P. Manorama, Chairperson, CWC, the child was brought to the committee since she was found begging on the day before Pongal. “We even found the child with money.” However, the couple had told The Hindu that the girl was buying sweets at a stall near the Marina with her mother standing nearby.
The CWC also said its enquiry revealed that the family came to Chennai and was living here for more than two years, but the child had never been to school. Santoshi and Gabbar, however, had told The Hindu that they had been in Chennai for less than two months.
Explaining the delay in handing over the girl to her parents, Ms. Manorama said: “Cases are posted for hearing 15 days after the child is brought, which gives us sufficient time to collect details about the whereabouts of the parents. And after Pongal holidays, the Purasawalkam unit of the CWC could meet only on Friday.”
The parents of the girl agreed before the committee to go back to their hometown, and produced train tickets as the proof of intent. “But it is not in our hands to ensure that the child does not go back to begging in her hometown,” she added.
The child was away from her parents for about a week, but the period was rather tormenting for Santoshi and Gabbar. According to the couple, the CWC, as part of its procedure to establish the parents' identity, asked for their ration card. “Our ration card is in Hindi, and they wanted it translated to English,” said Gabbar. The CWC denied that it had asked for a translated copy of the family's ration card. However, Santoshi and Gabbar told The Hindu that they were asked for a translated copy, and they tried in many shops, even big ones, but didn't succeed in getting the translation done.
The CWC, functioning under the Department of Social Defence, has the primary function of caring for “neglected” or “abandoned” children. Personnel from the Juvenile Aid Protection Unit rescue such children and bring them to the CWC, in addition to NGOs and other citizens contacting the child helpline. Sources in the unit said as many as 318 children were rescued in 2011 and in 2012 so far, 49 children have been rescued.
Every day about three to four beats (teams of two members of the unit) set out on “rounds” at different spots, such as railway stations, bus terminuses, or busy market areas. “We look for children without slippers, dressed in rags or those who look helpless. I have been motivating my teams to rescue at least one child every day,” said an official.
“Efficient process needed”
Following the rescue, the CWC follows a detailed procedure, involving enquiries on the child's parents and background and whether he/she was going to school. The CWC may be justified in adopting a thorough procedure to verify the identity of parents to ensure the child, when returned, would be taken care of well and provided education, but the process of this verification is not only slow, but also ambiguous in some parents' view. Indefinite waits on the premises, inadequate information and language barriers only make their situation worse.
Pullamma and Venkateswarulu, a couple from Machilipatnam, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, were waiting for an update on their 10-year-old-daughter Sandya Priyanka. As construction labourers, Venkateswarulu makes Rs.300 every day, while Pullamma gets a daily wage of Rs.200. “We were near Anna Salai and she went to buy a bun. Suddenly, we found her missing … we were later directed to this place. In addition to our ration card, they asked for her school certificate and we have brought it today,” says Pullamma, showing a letter attested by their District Educational Officer. Some parents say they are happy with the care given at the CWC's reception home, but the separation can be painful. “The food and place is okay, but the child misses us a lot,” says another mother, waiting for her son.
A more systematic and efficient process, which is also transparent, can help prevent further victimisation of parents or migrant labourers, who are often in a disadvantageous position already, say activists working in the area of child rights and protection.
Vidya Reddy of Tulir - Centre for the Prevention and Healing Child Sexual Abuse, says no documentation that substantiates the orders is provided to the family or the complainant. “What can a migrant workers' family make of an order? There is no advice available on the next possible recourse. Sadly, the Juvenile Justice system is designed as one that addresses issues of those in a socio-economically disadvantaged position. We see that the delivery of services to this section is always poor.”
