Nirmal Saha, a resident of Balurghat in West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur district, is afraid that the Child Protection Team of the State of New Jersey, U.S. might take away his grandson Indrashish from his son Debashish (28), an employee with an Information Technology major, and daughter-in law Pamela (25).
Mr. Saha said that his son and daughter-in-law were being denied access to their child over the past few days. The couple landed in New Jersey on July 22. On August 9, their son fell from the bed and suffered injuries to the head. He was admitted to Morris Town Memorial Hospital and according to his father, had to undergo a surgery.
However, since September 6 his access to his son was restricted, claimed Debashish.
“We have been told that we can meet the child for two hours every week, in the presence of a representative of a Child Protection team,” he said, apprehending that the child would be taken away and handed over to foster parents.
Debashish said that it is also difficult for his parents to visit him in New Jersey at such short notice and that he would seek the intervention of the President and the West Bengal Chief Minister in this regard.
A local court that heard the matter on September 7 had asked him to appear again on September 14 with a lawyer, he told The Hindu over telephone from New Jersey.
“It was argued before the court by the Child Protection Team from the Division of Youth and Family Services, of the State of New Jersey that it was not safe to allow the child to return home to us and they will take the custody of the child,” he said.
“The court has directed me to appear with my lawyer and has also asked me to suggest names of relatives to whom the child can be handed over,” he said.
“Am I a criminal that I will harm my child?” he asked, adding that he does not have any relatives in the U.S. to whom the child could be handed over. He added that it was difficult for him to bear the cost of hiring a lawyer.
The couple have urged the Centre to intervene, stating that they are keen to return to India once the child is handed over to them.
Keywords: New Jersey child row, New Jersey child services
Anybody can't believe the explanation given by the parents that the child fallen from the bed and it required some surgery. They have done something hard to the child, and a result of that it got hard injury.
I live in NJ and from what I can see CPS is both incompetent and overprotective. Less so than in NYC, perhaps. We have a culture of empowered social workers with nothing to do but confiscate children. In another state (CA?) a woman spent years in prison because her child or grandchild was "battered" -- it turns out the child has a syndrome that resembles being battered. This is what happens when "social science" pretends to be a "hard science." It's all opinion and innuendo, really.
Yes, it's possible this child was battered. It's also possible it fell out of bed. You'll never get a straight story from NJ CPS.
Most U.S. houses have carpets or soft floors. Almost no house here has hard cement or marble floors. There is no way a child would need surgery after falling from a bed. There are two sides to every story, including this one. Check out both sides before reporting.
Are the parents negligent of their child, or the US Child Protectection Law is overprotective?
Looks like the explanation given by the parents about the child's injury
does not match with the hospital medical staff's finding. Hire a lawyer
instead of asking help from Indian government.
Becoming an IT professional could require no social skills or taking care of a child in a manner it has to be. Many parents from the sub continent fail to understand this. If they are in another country for better opportunities, they better assimilate to the system of that place. In this case, providing separate bed for child is a mandatory in USA like its in Europe and many countries.
Its in the interests of the child, the authorities have taken this step and not a harassment. Better to return to India then taking on the system which is not suitable to them.Don't blame USA and malign the name of India, when you never learned skills of life.
A Child falling down from a bed and having to undergo surgery? You
should check the Child protective services story as well and then
report, you cannot just bluntly report a news without checking all the
details from all people involved. The likelihood of having to undergo
surgery is sounding some alarm bells.
Great news for all child protection people... may be THE HINDU should investigate this case in depth...get the other side of story... Indian parent are just as loving and cruel as any other.
I remind you all that we have 498a, DV etc... immunity from prosecution in international child abduction.
ASK INDIA to sign the Hague Convention on Child Abduction.
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