In tricity, Op Muskan brings back home 327 kids

The Operation, an initiative taken by the police of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, successfully rescued children from different locations. A majority of them had left home and were working as labourers and helpers. There were some children who had lost all hopes of reuniting with their families, yet the tricity cops managed to locate their families.

Amit Sharma 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 31 

The Operation Muskan launched by the Chandigarh Police rescued 142 children from the city and neighboring states bringing back smile on the faces of families by reuniting them with their children. The one-month long drive that concluded today was jointly organised by the anti-human trafficking unit of the Chandigarh Police and the UT Social Welfare Department. 

As per the police, around 20 teams comprising two policemen each participated in the Operation Muskan and went to neighboring states to trace the missing children. The aim was not just to bring the children missing from Chandigarh back home but, to rescue all the children irrespective of their state and reunite them with their families. As per the police information, 22 children were rescued during door-to-door survey, 120 children were rescued from streets. 

Neil Robert, Chairman, Child Welfare Committee, UT, said that out of total number of children rescued, 116 were rescued from Chandigarh of which 72 were reunited with their families, a communication was sent to the police for verifying the address of 18 children and there were no claimants for 20 children. "Today six more children have been rescued and antecedents of whom are being verified", he said. 

He further said that the neighboring states should share the particulars of the missing children among each other so that it would help in rescuing them. "Such drives should continue in the future too", Robert added. 

As per the Child Welfare Committee, children hailing from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were rescued and reunited with their parents. 

Police sources said that the children who were rescued had left their home willingly. They were working at dhabas, shops and various other establishments. "A large number of children said that they didn't want to study so they they left their home', said a police official. 

Girls who had eloped with their male friends were also rescued during the drive. 

The parents of the children who were rescued during the month-long operation today thronged Snehalaya, the shelter home for the destitute and abandoned children in Maloya, to take the custody of their wards. 

Appropriately named Operation Muskan, an initiative to reunite children with their families, brought smile on the faces of many parents who were surprised to see their children coming back to them. While the Chandigarh Police rescued 142 children from the city and neighboring states, the Panchkula police rescued 178 children and the Mohali police managed to rescue seven children. 

During the month-long exercise, the tricity police went to neighboring states and rescued children working at commercial establishments. The children were counselled and persuaded to live with their parents again. The police ensured that the children were safely handed over to their parents who had lost all their hopes of reuniting. 

Mostly from other states

As per the Child Welfare Committee, children hailing from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab were rescued and reunited with their parents. 

Police sources said the children who were rescued had left their home willingly. They were working at dhabas, shops and various other establishments.