Karnataka

12 runaway children reunited with families

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It was an emotional moment was over a dozen runaway children and their families as they were reunited with their parents on Monday.

For many children it was not the first time, they were running away from home. Thirteen-year-old, Rahman Basha (name changed) who ran away from home for the third time was in tears when he saw his father. “I left home as I did not want to go to school. My teacher there frequently scolds me. Earlier, I had left home as my friends in school used to make fun of me. Now, my parents have assured me that they would send me to a different school, so I will not leave home again,” he said.

Sitting in a corner was a twelve-year-old boy, who ran away from home over a year ago, was among the 38 children rescued last week. Although he had been rescued thrice earlier and sent to child welfare committees, he continues to indulge in drug abuse.

About a dozen children were reunited with their parents and the remaining would be sent to the Child Welfare Committees and would have to wait for their parents to pick them up. As per a report prepared by Sathi, every year, around 6,200 children arrive at the Yeshwantpur railway station.

Rajashekhar, programme officer, Sathi, the non-governmental organisation which facilitated the reunion said most children were from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and often ran away owing to poverty. Some were lured by agents and brought to the city for better educational opportunities.

Sunanda Arul, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, said they were planning to open more shelters in other railway stations so that runaway children could be spotted at the earliest.

They were also planning to sensitize the railway staff, including porters, to identify such children, she said.
(The Hindu)

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