Every time the children from Apna Ghar go on a rampage, the authorities sit up, make all the right noises and very quickly forget about it. They wake up again only when there is another incident of violence, which happens quite frequently. Unfortunately that is how government bodies in this country work – sleeping over matters of importance.
In the past few years Apna Ghar has invited much criticism for its functioning. Child rights groups and others have been constantly attacking this institution, but there appears to be no change forthcoming.
After last week’s incident, in which even the car belonging to a lawyer was damaged, one child who is ‘considered a habitual troublemaker’ was sent home and another child was referred to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour. These are kneejerk reactions taken by a body that neither wants to take a deeper look at why the children under its care resort to violence, nor wants to change the manner in which it functions, and is perhaps even unaware of what exactly is expected of it. The child that was sent home was probably at Apna Ghar because that was the best place for him, the place where he could get rid of his troublemaking urges. By sending him home the problem has not been resolved. It may in fact, where the boy is concerned, have been aggravated.
What needs to be underlined is that Apna Ghar is a children’s home and is not to be confused with an orphanage. It is, as the website of the Directorate of Women and Child Development states, an observation home for boys and girls, shelter home for boys and girls, children’s home for boys and girls, special home for boys and girls. It was set up under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The Act relates to juveniles in conflict with the law and children in need of care and protection.
Hence, Apna Ghar is an institution whose main purpose is to rehabilitate the children that live under its roof as these are not ordinary children. The institution must prepare them to reenter society as productive members. But, going by the number of times the children from Apna Ghar protest and go on a rampage, one has to actually wonder whether this institution is providing the children the environment that is conducive to their rehabilitation.
Earlier in 2012, a one-man committee that was set up to investigate the repeated violent outbursts at Apna Ghar made its recommendations but except for increasing the height of the compound wall, other recommendations were ignored. The committee that gave its report two years back found that the staff was scared of the inmates, that security was lax and had even found gas cutters in the premises. While that committee looked at security, and lapses in security, there is perhaps need to investigate the nature of rehabilitation at this institution.
Apna Ghar, again according to the website, provides proper care, protection and treatment by catering to the development of the children and by adopting a child-friendly approach in adjudication and disposition of matters for the child’s rehabilitation. This, going by the repeated violent outbursts, just doesn’t appear to be happening at Apna Ghar or anywhere else in the State.
In the present case some of the children alleged that they had been beaten up the previous night by staff of the institution. If that is true, then can it be explained whether beatings are the manner in which to bring discipline in a child and reform him? This does not appear to be a child-friendly approach. If this is how a child-friendly home functions, then there is much to be learnt.
From all available evidence it doesn’t appear that Apna Ghar is working towards fulfilling the aims for which it was set up. The institution needs a complete overhaul so that it can begin to truly function as a place where children will feel at home and will begin and complete the process of becoming productive members of society. This cannot be delayed and the government must immediately begin the process to reform the reform home so that it works towards the purpose it was set up for.
