The Hindu : Focus on street kids' woes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 29, 2002

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Focus on street kids' woes

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 28. ``They used to beat up the little children at the rehabilitation home, so I ran away from there,'' said 15-year-old Vijay Kumar who lives on the platform of New Delhi Railway Station and makes a living by selling combs, paper soaps and pens to passengers. Vijay is just one of countless children who inhabit the railway stations of the Capital.

Runaways from their natural home, most of them prefer the freedom of living on the streets rather than the safety of a rehabilitation home. "I lived in the Delhi Gate branch of Prayas but within three months I left it,'' said 16-year-old Suraj who ran away from home when he was about 10.

With the objective of understanding their problems and needs, the Association for Development, a non-governmental organisation working to combat abuse among street children and working children, in association with Action Aid, conducted a study of 100 such children living on the three major railway stations of the Capital. Their report was released at a press conference today. Titled "Study on the problems of street and working children living at railways stations in Delhi'', the report highlights the need for planning and consultation among all agencies involved in the welfare activities and the need for taking into consideration the aspirations of the children themselves.

As the president of the Association For Development, Raaj Mangal Prasad, speaking at the press conference said, "There is no short-cut solution for this problem. It is linked with several issues -- migration, poverty, family issues and the rest. Sending them back to their parents or to rehabilitation homes is not the answer.'' Corroborating this are the statistics as revealed by the study where 64 per cent of the respondents wish to remain on the streets and not go to any rehabilitation institution. Also, since most are runways from their natural home, returning home is not an option for them.

The report puts forth the multifarious problems that street and working children face. Harassment by the police and the lack of some basic accommodation are the main problems outlined by them. "Even in the middle of the night, when we are asleep, the police come and beat us. They also snatch money from us whenever they feel like,'' said one of the children.

It is only through interaction with the street children and understanding the needs that a sound policy be developed, states the report. It also emphasises the importance to forge a link between all those concerned agencies working in this sector.

And an attempt in this direction to facilitate networking among various organisations is the compilation of the Directory of Organisations Working for Street and Working Children, which was also released today by the Delhi Social and Welfare Minister, R.K. Chauhan. The directory lists organisations working in different areas with street and working children -- adoption, health, legal, counselling and even vocational training -- in the Capital. The aim is to bring about co-ordination among the various organisations.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Chauhan said, "Non- governmental agencies have a big advantage in the sense that they have direct linkages with the people. They can interact at the local level and therefore they can be of great importance to the government.'' He also asserted that the Bhagidari scheme as introduced by the Chief Minister should be extended to social welfare issues as well.

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