Operation Muskan: Smiles for some, tears for others

Aarti Kapur

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 31

“On July 20 at 10.30 am, I was busy with my sister’s wedding arrangements when my phone rang. A police official, who was calling from Chandigarh, informed me that my daughter had been rescued from the bus stand and was staying in Snehalaya at Maloya. He asked me to come with her date of birth proof and take her home,” said Suresh Sharma, father of Sonali, who had been missing from Sarangrur for two years. She has been rescued under Operation Muskan.

Interestingly, Sonali misguided counsellors at Snehalaya when she was sent there by the police in November last year stating that her name was Pinky and her parents had died. However, last week when the Punjab Police shared their missing children data, Sonali’s picture and address were also on the list through which they were able to trace her parents.

There was great relief and joy on his face while waiting outside the child welfare committee office today to complete the documentation work for taking her custody. “It has been a happy ending as our daughter, who ran away from home in November 2013 after a heated argument with her mother, has been reunited with us,” he said.

Suresh had left his job of a project manager in a Mauritius-based company and came to India in December 2013 to search for his daughter. “All these months, my day started with a visit to the police station and ended at some religious preacher’s place to know whether my daughter will come back,” said Suresh with moist eyes. As many as 72 such children have been rescued and sent back to their families.

Not so lucky as parents shut door on them

The rescue operation has also exposed the darker side of parents who have refused to accept their children after they were told that they had been rescued from various parts of the city.

Ajay Adi (14), a mentally challenged child, was not lucky like Sonali, as his parents, who stay in Maloya and were traced during Operation Muskan, refused to accept him when a team took the child there. “We have disowned him as we do not have the money to take care of him,” his mother told the team members. The family of Suraj (12) that stays in Mauli Jagran, refused to accept him. His mother said, “I already have eight children at home and am finding it difficult to bear their financial burden. I cannot afford a drug addict in my home; please take him back.”   

Running away from home a way of life for them 

Interestingly, two children rescued during the operation had formed a habit of running away from their homes.

Ankush (12) has run away from home 12 times in the past nine years. He went to Bihar, Ambala and Lucknow. 

His worried parents said they failed to understand his behaviour. The other child is from Jammu and Kashmir and ran away from home four times and came to Chandigarh.