Hundreds of children abandoned because of a primitive custom prevalent among the tribal communities in southern Rajasthan are the focus of attention for their rehabilitation through special schemes of the State government. Left behind by their mothers, these children face social stigma and are vulnerable to abuse and forced labour.
The Nata (relationship) custom allows tribal men and women to live together without marriage as many times as they want. The woman, who leaves her matrimonial home either after her husband’s death or following a marital dispute, leaves her children behind as the live-in partner is not willing to accept the kids from her first husband.
The abandoned children are generally raised by the relatives, acquaintances and neighbours. They are often forced into child labour, for which they migrate to neighbouring Gujarat. In some instances, the mother lives with the children, but the entire family is forced to work in the absence of a source of livelihood.
Following a study on the condition of the tribal children facing the brunt of the Nata custom, the district administration in Udaipur has initiated steps for their upbringing, social security, education and health care through special schemes in “Mission Kotda”. The mission mode has been adopted in Kotda, Lasadiya, Jhadol and Phalasia blocks in the district.
2% children affected
The study, conducted by Banswara-based Vaagdhara, which works on tribal livelihood issues, in collaboration with UNICEF, found that 2% of the tribal children in the age group of 4 to14 years in the region were affected by the Nata practice. They are vulnerable to physical and psychological abuse, harm, neglect and exploitation, which affects their education and growth and impacts their behavioural pattern.
Vaagdhara secretary Jayesh Joshi told The Hindu that though the Nata custom had a “gender perspective” of giving the tribal women the right to choose their partner, the issue of protection and upbringing of their children needed a greater attention. “The women going in Nata are generally not allowed to maintain contact with their children. Their care can be ensured only through an institutional mechanism,” he said.
The study, which mainly covered Aspur and Sabla blocks of Dungarpur district, found that 13% of children faced humiliation at school because of Nata in their family and 6% of them faced verbal and physical abuse. About half of such children do not have friends as they face social stigma and they suffer neglect when the new mother comes in the family as part of the custom.
Mr. Joshi said the lack of affection and emotional support affected the children and they were living like orphans despite one or both of their parents being alive. The special schemes for foster care could provide them with financial support and take care of other aspects of their emotional and skills development, he added.
The “Mission Kotda” has connected a large number of these children with the State government’s Palanhar Yojana, in which a monthly stipend of ₹500 or ₹1,000, depending on the child’s age, is paid to the guardian, who may be the child’s relative or acquaintance, for foster care. The child is also enrolled in the nearest school or Anganwadi centre.
Mission goals
Udaipur Collector Tara Chand Meena said the mission, being implemented in four blocks of the district, had successfully connected the children affected by Nata as well as the orphans with the foster care and stopped their forced migration to Gujarat for labour. The mission has laid emphasis on stopping human trafficking, generating livelihood sources and ensuring overall development of women and children.
Other features of “Mission Kotda”, which was formulated to address the issues in the most backward blocks of Udaipur, include reduction in dropout rate of students, establishment of primary health centres, industrialisation, labour welfare, distribution of social security pensions, establishment of Krishi Upaj Mandi, identification of malnourished children and strengthening of Anganwadi centres.
Significantly, the Palanhar Yojana has also benefited the children of widows and divorced women as well as the children of differently abled persons, HIV patients and those suffering from leprosy. In most of the categories, the guardians get one-time annual payment of ₹2,000 in addition to the monthly stipend for children.
