Authorities turn a blind eye

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 5

There has reportedly been an increase in the number of child beggars in the city, hinting at a possible child trafficking network existing here.

Though the police authorities claim that no case of a possible child trafficking victim has been identified in the city so far, small children from the age of two to seven could be seen begging or lying in an inebriated state on the shoulders of their so-called “parents”.

While the civil authorities do not seem to be bothered about the implementation of clear-cut guidelines issued by the Supreme Court to protect and rehabilitate the street-children, the police department, too, seems unconcerned about the menace which is a clear violation of the Children’s Right to Life and Education and Prevention of the Child Labour’s Act.

In Jalandhar alone, approximately 60 per cent of the beggars are children.

Seven-year-old Kiran (name changed) was recently spotted begging in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office along with a 58-year-old woman, claiming herself to be her grandmother. Though the old woman claimed that Kiran, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, haD come to spend summer vacation at her house at Buta Mandi, she failed to provide the complete address or contact number of Kiran’s parents when asked by the Jalandhar Tribune team. Even Kiran, too, seemed highly scared and failed to utter a single word during the conversation.

Though ACP (North) Avneet Kondal when informed about this, alerted the Madhya Pradesh Police by forwarding Kiran’s photograph, the city commissionerate has so far failed to track down the girl and get her admitted to any of the various child labour schools running in the district.

Another six-year-old girl Neha (name changed) was found in an extremely drowsy condition for around six hours near Company Bagh Chowk on Friday along with a middle-aged woman, claiming to be her mother. Though officials from the police station (Division No. 4) did reach there, they set them free without even conducting the medical examination of the girl to check the presence of any toxicant, if any, in the girl’s body.

Later, an official claimed to have gone to the house of the girl in the slum area near Maqsudan Wholesale market , but failed to check any identification proof of the woman and that of the girl to verify her claim to be her mother.

“I went to her house but could not speak to the girl, as she seemed to be scared of me and was crying the whole time. I verified their relationship from their neighbours, who also seemed to be beggars only. There was no need to check any identity proofs of the family,” said ASI Dilbagh Singh, the investigating officer. He didn’t even get the verification of the woman done so far from her native village informed by her.

Rana Kanwardeep Kaur, Civil Judge, (Senior Division-cum Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), said the Supreme Court had issued directions to all state governments to put a ban on begging in their respective areas and to plan the rehabilitation of child beggars and labourers. “There is a dire need to catch hold of such beggars found roaming with drowsy children. Beggar women reportedly give some tranquilizers to the babies in order to make them sleep during the ‘business hours’ that continues till late evening, starting early morning, risking the health of the tiny toddlers,” said Rana Kanwar.

She also said that the police, on receiving such complaints, should first get the medical examination conducted of the child to check the presence of any intoxicant in their body. Later, they should also get the verification done from their native village to check the claim of their so-called beggar parents. If any discrepancy is found, the person can be tried under the Child Trafficking Act.