By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 24 Nov: A five year old child, who had been living at the Rajkiya Sishu Sadan for the past six months, was finally reunited with his family today.
On 8 May, 2023, a 5-year-old child was found in Roorkee unable to speak or even recall his own name. He was subsequently sent to the Government Shishu Niketan, where he received counselling and, with the assistance of the Shishu Niketan staff and counsellors, started to gradually interact with other children and provide information about himself.
He revealed that his name is Arshad, his brother’s name is Sameer, and his sister’s name is Sophia. He slowly added that he does not have a father but that his grandfather’s name is Anish and that he used to prepare food at weddings. He also mentioned that he lives in Dehradun and has a house somewhere along the banks of a drain.
An advertisement about the child was published in the newspaper, but his family was unable to be contacted despite extensive searches.
On 23 November, another attempt was made to locate the child’s family. On 20 November, District Probation Officer Meena Bisht contacted Rizwan Ali, a local advocate working for the rights of children with disabilities. He is associated with a renowned Dehradun-based organisation, LATIKA, which works with children with disabilities. She requested his assistance in using his network to help find the child’s family.
Rizwan Ali then forwarded a message containing the aforementioned information and a picture of the child to all of his contacts, including NGO workers, lawyers, and social workers. This resulted in the child’s family being located the very next day, on 24 November.
The child’s family contacted Advocate Rizwan Ali and informed him that they had learned about the child through WhatsApp. The child’s family was then presented before the CWC (Child Welfare Committee). After a thorough examination of their documents and identification, the child was handed over to his family. The child and his family were overjoyed to be reunited.
“We are so grateful to all of those who helped us find our son,” said the child’s mother. “We never gave up hope, and we are so happy to finally have him home.”
This is a heartwarming story of a family reunited after a long and difficult time. It is also a reminder of the importance of community and the power of networking. All connected all can make a difference in the lives of others.
Rizwan Ali is deeply committed to advocating for the rights of children with disabilities.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is a statutory body that works to ensure the welfare of children in India. It is responsible for investigating child abuse cases and providing protection to children in need.
