The Norwegian government has expressed understanding for India's concerns over the matter related to the separation of three-year old Abhigyan and one-year old Aishwarya from their natural parents by the Norwegian Childcare Services which placed them under foster care last year.
A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs here said Oslo is understood to be trying to find a solution to the issue.
Pointing out that the matter has been pursued actively with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the strong demarches that were made in Oslo and in New Delhi on January 5, this year. On January 12, an official of the Indian embassy visited the foster home where the young children are staying and ascertained that they were in good health, the statement said.
Following this visit the embassy reiterated the concerns of India to the Ministry that the children were being deprived of the undoubted benefits of being brought up in their own ethnic, religious cultural and linguistic milieu. Hence, the return of the children to India so that they could be brought up in familiar surroundings under the loving care of their extended family would be in their best long-term interests.
The matter will continue to be pursued with them actively, the statement added.
The two children were taken away from their parents Anurup and Sagarika by a child welfare service in May last year after they concluded that their mother was not capable of bringing up the children well.
The children's grandparents on Saturday met President Pratibha Patil to seek her intervention in getting the custody of the children who would have to stay with the foster families until they were 18. Worse, the visa of Anurup and Sagarika expires next month.
