The police have rescued an eight-year-old and a two-year-old girl who were involved in begging in Tiruvannamalai on Friday.
Personnel from the Crime Against Women and Children (CAWC) wing, Social Defence and Child Line have been conducting a State-wide Anti-Child Begging Drive in the temple town from December 10 to 24.
On Friday morning, Sub-Inspector Meenakshi from Tiruvannamalai All Woman Police Station, members of Child Line and officials from Social Defence were conducting Anti-Child Begging raids in the town. “Around 2 p.m., we found an 8-year-old girl begging near the bus stand. We confirmed that she was begging, after inquiring with passengers. She told us that her mother forced her into begging. She was handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC),” said a police officer. Meanwhile, around 7 p.m, the team spotted a woman carrying a two-year-old girl and seeking alms on the Girivalam Path.
The girl and her mother were taken to a temporary shelter and given food and accommodation. “The parents will be counselled and warned not to involve thildren in begging. Till date we have rescued five children from begging in the district,” said the police officer.
Drive in Chennai too
Meanwhile seven teams have been formed in Chennai for the drive. “On Friday alone, we rescued around 15 children who were involved in begging. The rescued children were produced before the Child welfare Committee at Kellys. The process of keeping them in child care instructions for their rehabilitative and reformative measures is going on,” said a senior police officer.
The officer added that if the rescued children wanted to study, they will be taken to a home and enrolled in a school. “We will otherwise provide some vocational training. We will ensure they do not go back to begging,” the officer added.
Seema Agarwal, ADGP at the headquarters, who holds additional charge of CAWC, said that the main aim of the drive was to rescue children from begging and provide them with a safe environment.
(Childline operates a toll free helpline 1098 for children in distress across the country)
