Of The 23 Children Rescued From Rajasthan Home, Four Are Siblings
Better education was the convincing bait
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 18 2013:
The promise of better or proper education was the bait effective enough to dupe the parents of four siblings and take the four children all the way to Rajasthan.
The four children including three girls were rescued sometime back from Jaipur, Rajasthan, and their mother could only weep with tears of joy on seeing her children again.
Talking to The Sangai Express, the mother said, "We sent our children in the hope that they may become educated and live their future life with dignity" .
Of the 52 children rescued by Child Welfare Committee, Jaipur and NGOs from an unregistered children home run by one Jacob John at Jaipur on March 12 this year, 23 were from Manipur.
They included 14 girls and nine boys.
19 of them hail from Ukhrul district, three from Tamenglong and one from Chandel district.
Of the 19 children belonging to Ukhrul district, four are siblings born to same parents.
After their rescue, the children were brought to Manipur on March 29 and they were housed at Takyel Observation Home where they were given medical treatment and counselling.
The four siblings born to the same parents include three girls aged 17, 11 and nine years.
The boy is 15 years old.
The two eldest children were taken away from Manipur about five years back while the two youngest were taken outside the State about two years ago.
According to the mother, the children were studying in Ukhrul town.
"I sent them away taking the words of a friend of mine who promised me that the children would be sent to much better schools outside the State", the mother said.
On being enquired if she had any idea about the place where her children were taken away, the mother replied in negative.
"Yet I was allowed to communicate with my children through telephone.
Thinking that it was good arrangement for the future of the children, I sent my two youngest daughters where their elder sister and brother were purportedly learning", she said.
On being asked if she still desires to send any of her children outside the State for better education, the mother said that she would never hand over her children to anybody's care.
"I could only curse myself for my past blunder which could have ruined my children without any hope of redemption", the mother regretted.
When the children were rescued from the illegal children home of Jaipur, empty bottles of liquor were seen in large number around the children home.
Some NGOs even expressed suspicion about possibility of subjecting to children to sexual abuse.
One of the rescued children said that they were never sent to any formal school though they were taught at the home.
The mother appealed to the concerned authorities such inhuman activities of deceiving gullible parents as well as child trafficking.
Demanding punishment of all those involved in such criminal activities, the mother called upon all parents not to allow themselves misled by such criminal elements.