Delhi: How Covid, Family Hit Pressure Rehabilitation Street Children

New Delhi: An operation carried out by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for the past two months, where 119 children were saved, have revealed why begging continued to take place in the city still.
This includes getting influenced by Covid-19, the family refuses requests for rehabilitation and getting addiction to get easy money.
Dheeraj Kumar commissioner (crime) said 10 teams from anti-human trafficking units (AHTU) were deployed in 215 locations to check the activities of 492 beggars.
“A list of beggars and their location is provided by the Social Welfare Department.
Only six beggars on the list were found and none of them complained about being forced to beg, “he added.
However, the team continued to oversee more than one hundred other children’s beggars.
Then, they were saved with the help of DCPCR and other stakeholders.
“Children claim they beg willingly,” Kumar said.
The AHTU team is led by ACP Surender Gulia.
Sharing his experience, Police Chief Naveen Pandey said several people lost their jobs during a pandemic and began to beg together with their children.
“Some families told me that they got several thousand workers at the factory, but begged to give them Rs 500 per day and they did not have to follow the routine,” he added.
The rescue operation is not easy because the family protests or becomes violent when children are brought for rehabilitation.
“They thought the police took their children to prison.
Some families say if their children are rehabilitated, their sources of income will reduce, “said Assistant Sub-Inspector Dilbagh Singh.
On Friday, several children such as those produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
A 12-year-old child said, “I like studying, but I don’t have money.
Sometimes people abuse me and tell me to work in a place instead of begging.
” Other children said, “After I asked my father to register me at school.
He replied that he had no money.
He also refused to register me at a government school.
” Children from family seven scavengers.
A CWC member told TII that most of their children and their families were agricultural workers.
“During the season, they came to the city to beg,” added the member.
Varun Pathak, CWC Chair (IX), said, “While hearing some cases, I came to know that children began to beg at a very early age.
They think begging is the only choice.
It takes a long counseling session for children to start trusting the counselor and opening.
Children sent to child care institutions to explore various things.
” Another CWC Chair said, “Elementary school is closed during a pandemic.
As children are not involved correctly to do something useful, they end up on the streets.
Also, many children cannot be online education, so take to begging.
“