Children-s parents must also desist from pressuring authorities to send them back, if unsafe. One has to remember that travel options are curtailed too, so homes need time and thought about how to send these children back.
Children, many of them who are runaways and were rescued from public places like the CSMT station, are in special children-s homes in Mumbai, awaiting clearance to be sent back to their hometown. Some of these have to go back to their families. Others will need to go to homes in their respective states.
A report in this paper detailed how children, most in the age group of 13 to 18 years, are awaiting clearance from their home states to take them back.
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The children have to be sent back under government guidelines. An official in the report stated that children whose homes are in Containment Zones will not be allowed to return. This is a correct precaution and shows that rules are being followed.
Conditions at homes, too, whether they be for children or for elder persons, should be tailored to the situation. Those living within must be given masks, sanitisers and the overall hygiene must be at an optimal level. Social distancing norms must also be followed inside.
The children inside these homes must be taught the importance of cleanliness. Every home is stretched as they have skeletal staff, many of them may have left for their hometowns. However, there should be no compromise or drop in standards on this account, rather we must see heightened awareness about hygiene during the crisis.
Children-s parents must also desist from pressuring authorities to send them back, if unsafe. One has to remember that travel options are curtailed too, so homes need time and thought about how to send these children back.
In the end, safety should be the prime concern — emotional pleas and threats should not push officials to send back kids using modes of transport available now. Thought, time and patience are needed for well informed, wise decisions.
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