The news flash about the, yet again, outrages of the inmates of Apna Ghar – Merces, going violent and damaging the property of their shelter home, is not as shocking as the role of the, so called, caretakers, allegedly involved in the serious juvenile criminal activities, who had beaten them up on the previous night for not allowing them to redress their grievances before the media and the police and the Juvenile Justice Board.
The act of the children, though lead to the property damages, shows the justifiable outcry of the feelings in reciprocation to the silent suffering and the suffocation they are made to undergo without them being allowed to express their suffering and bring the same to the public platform, demanding justice.
The Home has often been in controversy for sexual abuse on minor inmates, violence, breakages, assaults on other inmates and staffers. The caretakers’ nexus with the outside world of smugglers, as has been allegedly complained by the inmates as being the reason for their outrages is a cause to be seriously dealt with under the Law and Justice. There is need that the High Court take suo motu cognizance of the act and initiate action to compel the government for quick action.
Nevertheless, the incidence is once again a reminder to the government that their passive attitudes and the lack of prompt actions towards serious matters of juvenile injustice are causing serious threats to the social peace and harmony.
In, June, last year, the then Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar had conceded that Apna Ghar is unsafe. He had said at the press briefing that “The goal is to ensure a child is not handed over to Apna Ghar, which is increasingly becoming unsafe”. The Environment Minister, Alina Saldanha, during the cabinet meeting also had reportedly pointed out that there are loopholes in the foster care scheme for orphans or children in need, at Apna Ghar.
But the matters are not acted upon and ended up there with their statements. The government needs to take on the wakeup call and act efficiently as they did in case of Tehelka chief, before the issue gets aggravated and the innocent juveniles are made to suffer for lifetime.
