|
PUNE: Lots of play and a 30-day de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation programme helped the 42-odd children, who were picked up from the Pune railway station, in coming back to a healthy lifestyle and have a positive attitude towards life. The camp was held last month by NGO Sathi at Khanapur, near here.
Picked up by Sathi, which works towards rescuing missing children, they were reunited with their parents at a function held at the Don Bosco Youth Centre, Koregaon Park, on Wednesday. The camp put the children through various sessions like exercises, meditation, reading, moral values, sports and cultural activities. "The camp helped me realise the ill-effects of consuming tobacco, alcohol, whitener and gutkha. I realised that one becomes bad because of bad company," said Saddam, a teenager who lived on various railway platforms all over the country for over six months before being rescued by Sathi. Thirteen-year-old Mohammed Shakeel from Orissa went missing after staying with his mother in Mumbai for 15 days. Fourteen-year-old Vikas Jadhav from Pune had been staying on various railways platforms for the last five years. Indulging in tobacco, gutkha and whitener, he would sweep trains and make Rs 50 to Rs 60 per day, which he would spend on his addiction. "I got into bad company and that's what got me into bad habits. After undergoing the camp, I decided that I'll never leave my mother again," said Vikas, who now wants to pursue schooling. His mother, Nanda, couldn't hold back her tears on being reunited with her son. "Vikas left home because his uncle used to beat him frequently. I tried to find him all these years, but to no avail. I will not to let Vikas out of my sight," she said. The 30-day camp was supported by the Department of women and child development. "These children are among the many we find on railway platforms regularly. The amount of time they have spent on railway platforms ranges from a month to over five years," Arun Aravind, programme officer at Sathi, said. Chief guest at the function, Snehlata Godbole, assistant commissioner, Department of women and child development, said the responsibility of the rescued children now lies with their parents. "Do not remind the children of their past mistakes. Children make mistakes because parents go wrong somehow, somewhere. So it's better for the parents to take responsibility of their children and give them lots of love without blaming them anymore," Godbole said. The parents who had come to pick up their children were also counselled by a counsellor from the Muktangan de-addiction centre. |
