National Crime Records Bureau ( NCB) estimates as many as one child for every eight minute disappears in our country. At the same time, the number of children being abandoned or has been orphaned have erupted with Covid – 19 pandemic. As per UNICEF , India has 29.6 million abandoned and orphaned children.
Little kids who are at their playing and enjoying phase are seen on the streets begging, selling or simply roaming in an abandoned state. In our daily lives we tend to meet many kids on streets in the state and we tend to ignore and forget. Such incident happened with me on the streets of Bengaluru. Two little boys some where in the age of 11 to 12 years were sitting near the juice shop with the elder one weeping. He complained of being hit by a man on his eyes for a petty issue. With the information given by the little boy we learnt that those two boys were abandoned in the nearby park when born and are destitute. The nearby park itself is the shelter for their nap and sleep. Soon, we were extending hands to aid them. We also offered to take the guy to hospital to treat his eyes and were planning to admit them to nearby orphanage homes. A flick of the moment and the two boys were running away from us!
Whenever we come across kids like this, there exists little provisions through which we can atleast be satisfied of the security of the kids. As per the estimation by NGOs it is said that annually in between 12 to 15000 women and children are trafficked into India from other countries. As a weapon of aid, we possess a nationwide emergency number 1098 which works in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Child line India Foundation to aid kids in distress. Child Welfare Committe at local or district level or at the least, informing the nearby police station are certain provisions we have in our hands.
With the boys running away, in spite of question like; were they feared of trafficking or was it an insecurity or was the entire story of being orphan and destitute told by them a bundle of lie? Kept running in our minds. At the same time, our lack of information and awareness on how to aid such kids popped as an enlightenment towards the ignorance.
Certain, lack of information and ignorance from educated and privileged individuals should not detain the right of a vulnerable kid. As a part of duty towards the nation and for the safety, security and over all development of any kid left abandoned a call of awareness is essential.
Apart from civilians voluntary aid, it also should be made mandatory on local self government like panchayats and municipalities on such residents in their locality. Local range police should also be given the responsibility of keeping track of such kids if found on the streets of their zone. Through which, along with minimising the issue of trafficking, a step towards a welfare of abandoned kids is possible.
