Saturday, January 04, 2014

Should children be taken away from abusive parents?

This is not an impulsive post. It has patiently brewed in the head for a full day now.

Last evening, while driving home from office in the cold Delhi winter, I noticed a child who looked around 2 years old. This child was wearing a shirt and sweater on top and absolutely NOTHING underneath or on the head. Next to him were 2 women wearing the ghaghra and with a shawl each. I stared incredulously at that sight. One of them was presumably the mother, bcs the child was not shivering. it was playing merrily. The temperature outside is likely to be about 8 degrees. I asked the woman to dress the child properly in the cold, and she used that opportunity to ask me for money and clothes! I was too flabbergasted to even comment! I know for a fact that these people are NOT short on winter clothing. As a mother, I would have used my shawl to cover the child and would have kept the child close to give it body warmth at least. At any rate, its hard to imagine a parent that lets their child play in the cold with absolutely no clothes on!

The image of that child has not left my mind yet. Because that child is no exception. We all know enough parents - moneyed and otherwise, who abuse their children.

Should the parents be allowed to keep these children and actively abuse them? Or should the children be taken away from the parents?

What do you think?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

You avoid mentioning whether it's a little boy or girl, does that make a difference to the child's treatment?

In this country, social services would offer support first and taking a child away would only be done after that failed - yet the system does fail many children, occasionally with tragic consequences. I know, through my work at school, of many children with dreadful home circumstances, not always deliberate cruelty and I do not know the answer. Are there enough good foster homes for every neglected or abused child?

Amrita Sabat said...

Deep observations.
In our country, poverty is used as an excuse for begging. They get so used to begging that they will put up any act (lik not wearing or allowin children to wear warm clothes even if they have it) to beg fr more money. Ppl becom stoic, emotionless in the search fr money.
In just the quest for survival among billion plus people, children's voices get lost. Govt is least concerned abt 'social services'- that's for devd countries lik Norway, Sweden etc. Hence, even if children are taken away frm parents, any NGO has to cover full expenses of child's stay and growth. And there are lakhs of sch children. Tell me how many NGOs will be needed?

How do we know said...

Hi Zoe: I look at all this child abuse happening around and wonder why these ppl bothered to bring kids into the world anyway?! Why bother having kids if you don't want them?

Hi Amrita: :) Yes, that's a big problem. Another big problem is, if parents cant love their children, how can strangers love and care for them?

We should have a mandatory parenting test before people are allowed to get pregnant. Seriously! I am THAT disgusted with the way our children are treated.