Mid-Day Opinion: Running away from home is never a solution

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A routine patrol by Bandra's Nirmal Nagar Police recently led to the rescue of two missing girls from Uttar Pradesh near Bandra Terminus. The duo, who had allegedly fled their homes in Aligarh, were found during a patrol by a Nirbhaya mobile van and later reunited with their families after police verified their identities.

After due process, the girls were sent back to their home towns and eventually their families. One reason was that one runaway girl was upset that her parents did not support her dreams for higher studies because of their limitations. They have now promised to support her.

Whatever the reason, we are seeing too many young persons leaving their home, running away to Metros or other places for trivial reasons. Some leave to become film stars, with stars in their eyes and because Mumbai is Bollywood and for them, Bollywood is Mumbai.

Others are triggered by some sort of fear about an incident at home and decide it will be easier to run away. Others run away because they have been told ‘no' for something as small as a new gizmo, movie time or even screen time.

Running away is not a solution. Even disagreements and arguments need to be resolved through talk. Parents always instil in their children that you can talk to somebody, and running away from home is distressing not only for the family but also hugely dangerous for those who run away too.

While extremely dire home situations may need police intervention, here we focus on disagreements, small issues, or simply running away for a thrill. Change that mindset. Face the problem and tackle it, standing your ground.