THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The parents and relatives of the nearly 75,000 inmates of orphanages across the state had been directed to take them back in the Covid’s wake. Now, after the lockdown curbs were eased, the inmates are not being allowed to return on the grounds that they have relatives to take care of them.
But Biju Prabhakar, secretary, social justice department, told TNIE that students of higher secondary classes have been exempted from the latest directive so that their e-learning is not affected. A clarification was issued by the department in this regard.
“All higher secondary students can return to their respective orphanages as the government doesn’t want to disrupt their online classes. We have also asked the parents to give an undertaking whether or not they can afford to take care of their children and accordingly, a decision will be taken on them. Similarly, students studying under certain religious institutions belonging to Samastha have been exempted,” said Prabhakar.
The Orphanage Control Board has been strict in enforcing registration of orphanages under the Juvenile Justice Act which saw the children getting admitted only with the clearance of Child Welfare Committees (CWCs).
According to Biju Prabhakar, only those students who get the clearance from the respective CWCs will be allowed back. But certain exemptions have been made. Earlier, when the total lockdown kicked in, orphanages had to be closed down which forced inmates to return to their kin. After it had been extended, there was a propaganda that even if the orphanages don’t function, orphans could still lead a decent life.
Now, as online classes resumed, the kin have been bearing the brunt with the orphans reacting to it negatively.
Recently, the social justice department had prepared a Social Investigation Report (SIR) and accordingly only those children who got the clearance from the respective CWCs were given permission to return to the respective orphanages. However, the Association of Orphanages and Charitable Institutions Kerala (AOCIK) alleged that the law is not applicable under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
C P Kunji Muhammed, general secretary, AOCIK, told TNIE.”There is a vested interest on the part of the government to shut down orphanages under the guise of Covid. We will challenge the issue before the court. Many families do have television nor smartphone or social security and this is causing issues at homes since they wish to study.” K K Shailaja, Social Justice Minister, has been facing flak ever since this was implemented.
A child is normally put in an orphanage if the parents are jobless/sick single parent or else is an orphan with poor relatives. But foster care programmes like the pioneering ‘Snehapoorvam’ -- children who have lost both their parents or one of them can avail themselves of it-- number of orphans has dwindled.
‘Snehapoorvam’s USP is that since the financial assistance for each month is provided as a lump sum, the children can get themselves things study material and dresses.