*Woes of rescued children do not end even after they are rescued. Some of them cannot be reunited with parents as they are too young to remember their native place. *
For such kids, shelter homes under the aegis of the Child Welfare Committee are run across the capital.
"Form January 2012 to July 2013, a total of 2,756 kids were sent to eight children home in east and north-east delhi, of which, 2,671 children were reunited with their parents," says Ajay Singh, chairperson of Child Welfare Committee, Dilshad Garden.
But fate has something else in store for a few others. "As many as 47 children in east and north-east Delhi will stay with the shelter home till they are 18 years old. Some of them are orphans, others too young to remember their native place," adds Singh.
"There are 38 other kids whose addresses and native places are yet to be found. The process is underway. We are hopeful we will find some lead, otherwise they will also continue to live in the shelter home," says Singh.
All the kids who are destined to stay with shelter homes are enrolled in schools.
According to a child rights group — Bachpan Bachao Andolan — there are 1,319 untraced children who went missing in Delhi from January 3 to August 15. South-east district tops this list with 231 untraced kids, followed by 218 from outer Delhi.
"Per day as many as six children go missing in the capital," says Rakesh Senger, BBA member.
Most of these children belong to families of migrant labourers, who came to Delhi from Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar, he adds.
"A large number of these children are trafficked to western Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr and Meerut, and Sonipat and Panipat in Haryana. They are forced to work in sugarcane fields," says Senger.
According to non-profit organisations working against child trafficking, girls among missing children are forced into flesh trade. "But the authorities always have an excuse that boys and girls must be having an affair so they ran away. But what about kids who are one year old or five years old?" he says.
"Like on February 7, 2013, an eight-year-old girl went missing from west Delhi's Vikaspuri. She was last seen going to school at 7.30 am, but she never reached the institution. There is no clue about her till date," he adds.
Police have registered an FIR in this case. "But in many cases, where children are brought to Delhi from Assam or Bihar on false promises and are forced into child labour or trafficked to another state, no FIR is registered," says Singh.
Parents don't file a missing person complaint at their native place. "So when the kids are rescued, police can't cross verify. At times it only delays their restoration, but in some cases children can't be reunited because they don't know their complete address," adds Singh.
Some had bitter experience at home, so they don't want to go back; others want to earn their livelihood here so they refuse to head home.
BBA blames placement agencies for such a huge number of children going missing in Delhi. "There are some 2,300 placement agencies in the capital. Under the garb of helping these kids find jobs as domestic help, these agencies run a trafficking racket.
Shakurpur in north-west Delhi alone has 223 placement agencies; the area is notorious for trafficking kids to neighbouring states," says Senger. Reported by Deccan Herald 2 hours ago.
For such kids, shelter homes under the aegis of the Child Welfare Committee are run across the capital.
"Form January 2012 to July 2013, a total of 2,756 kids were sent to eight children home in east and north-east delhi, of which, 2,671 children were reunited with their parents," says Ajay Singh, chairperson of Child Welfare Committee, Dilshad Garden.
But fate has something else in store for a few others. "As many as 47 children in east and north-east Delhi will stay with the shelter home till they are 18 years old. Some of them are orphans, others too young to remember their native place," adds Singh.
"There are 38 other kids whose addresses and native places are yet to be found. The process is underway. We are hopeful we will find some lead, otherwise they will also continue to live in the shelter home," says Singh.
All the kids who are destined to stay with shelter homes are enrolled in schools.
According to a child rights group — Bachpan Bachao Andolan — there are 1,319 untraced children who went missing in Delhi from January 3 to August 15. South-east district tops this list with 231 untraced kids, followed by 218 from outer Delhi.
"Per day as many as six children go missing in the capital," says Rakesh Senger, BBA member.
Most of these children belong to families of migrant labourers, who came to Delhi from Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar, he adds.
"A large number of these children are trafficked to western Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr and Meerut, and Sonipat and Panipat in Haryana. They are forced to work in sugarcane fields," says Senger.
According to non-profit organisations working against child trafficking, girls among missing children are forced into flesh trade. "But the authorities always have an excuse that boys and girls must be having an affair so they ran away. But what about kids who are one year old or five years old?" he says.
"Like on February 7, 2013, an eight-year-old girl went missing from west Delhi's Vikaspuri. She was last seen going to school at 7.30 am, but she never reached the institution. There is no clue about her till date," he adds.
Police have registered an FIR in this case. "But in many cases, where children are brought to Delhi from Assam or Bihar on false promises and are forced into child labour or trafficked to another state, no FIR is registered," says Singh.
Parents don't file a missing person complaint at their native place. "So when the kids are rescued, police can't cross verify. At times it only delays their restoration, but in some cases children can't be reunited because they don't know their complete address," adds Singh.
Some had bitter experience at home, so they don't want to go back; others want to earn their livelihood here so they refuse to head home.
BBA blames placement agencies for such a huge number of children going missing in Delhi. "There are some 2,300 placement agencies in the capital. Under the garb of helping these kids find jobs as domestic help, these agencies run a trafficking racket.
Shakurpur in north-west Delhi alone has 223 placement agencies; the area is notorious for trafficking kids to neighbouring states," says Senger. Reported by Deccan Herald 2 hours ago.