India, with the largest child population in the world, doesn't have a credible database or reliable institutional mechanism with regard to child abuse.
The hue and cry over the appropriation of Abhigyan and Aishwarya by the Norwegian Child Protection Services (CPS) seemed to have ended, with the decision to hand over the children to their Kolkata-based uncle. He is now in Norway to complete the legal formalities and bring the children to India.
However, there are reports claiming that Norwegian authorities have sent a letter to their parent of the children asking them if they could agree to the children settling in Norway. It is worth noting that the child abduction controversy occurred in a country that ranks highest in the Human Development Index (HDI), a score heavily built on child welfare indicators. Therefore, it would be important to look afresh at the so-called “Indian couple's nightmare in Norway” from different angles.
Shaken baby syndrome
The necessity for a well-organised and vigilant CPS is brought home by a real-life incident that one of the authors dealt with at a US hospital.
Bryan, a baby who was just a few days old, with his eyes popped out of the sockets, whole body turned into blisters, hair scorched, and his burned feet filling the room with a pungent smell was the strangest of all experiences, even to the senior health professionals working there. Little Bryan was burned alive in a microwave oven by his mentally deranged mother.
‘Shaken baby syndrome' — a descriptive term for babies physically abused by means of violent shaking — is a typical ground for CPS intervention. Sadly, those children are usually admitted to hospital with severe brain injury and retinal bleed — a tell-tale sign of physical abuse.
Such events usually happen in the background of socially deprived parents/single parent in an emotionally unstable relationship complicated by alcohol and drugs.
According to Dr Rachel Berger, a child abuse expert at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, there is a 50 per cent increase in ‘shaken baby syndrome' following the recent economic recession in the US. Who will protect those kids? Obviously not their parents! The Norwegian social welfare system expects the State to take direct responsibility of its young citizens through a centralised CPS, locally known as Barnevernet. An ombudsman for children, not obliged to any governmental bodies, leads the Norwegian CPS — the first of its kind in the world.
School teachers, doctors and social workers are bound to report any suspicious behaviour or activities to the Barnevernet. Actions and recommendations of the CPS have to be eventually approved by a court.
What makes the abduction of Indian children controversial is probably the ‘silly' rationale put forward by the Norwegian CPS for such an act — accusation of hand-feeding and child parent co-sleeping.
For the most part, the Indian media presented the child abduction issue as a “clash of two different cultures”. In most media platforms, the social roots of the confiscation of children were located in cultural misunderstandings and insensitivity. In a certain sense, the Indian media approached the child custody issue almost in the same spirit as the forceful custodianship of sailors by the Somalian pirates.
The lion's share of media discussions demonised the entire system of child protection in Norway. It seems like the success of the Indian diplomatic mission in releasing Abhigyan and Aishwarya from the Barnevernet created an elevated sense of ‘victory over evil'. But such an approach undermines the need for a child welfare system similar to Norway's. India, the country with the largest child population in the world, still doesn't have a credible database or reliable institutional mechanism with regard to child abuse. The fragmentation of old patterns of familial and kinship ties, rising number of child sexual abuse reports, and the mushrooming of both formal and informal day-care centres/baby-sitters, highlights the importance of a vigilant CPS radar in India.
Dual existence of NRIs
By and large, the Indian population in the Western world is aware of the importance of government organisations such as the CPS in ensuring child welfare. What perturbed the non-resident Indians (NRIs) was the adverse inference made by the Norwegian authorities, that is, the Indian ways of child-rearing were basically flawed. How can Indian methods of childcare be so antithetical to the ‘scientific' practices accepted by the Norwegian CPS?
Not surprisingly, most NRIs looked at the child abduction issue in Norway through the same lens as the Indian media. The tide of sympathy and ‘angry facebooking' that flowed into Norway from all over Europe and America, aptly illustrates the NRI mindset.
Why did the NRIs criticise the whole Norwegian CPS as inhumane, instead of judging it as an incidental crack in the system? This question can be answered by exploring how the NRI families are ‘rooted' in the West. According to the results of a study by the Central Bureau of Statistics Norway (SSB) published in January 2012, the children of Indian parents are doing best in terms of completing high school within the prescribed time.
Ms Helen Sekine, a sociologist associated with the SSB study, highlights the consistent focus and facilitational role of parents as the crucial factors that determine Indian descendants' educational success. Indian parents, as per her conclusion, are particularly concerned that their children climb up the ladder by making use of educational opportunities in Norway.
In a significant sense, the conclusions from the SSB study in Norway are applicable to the entire West. When it comes to things like education or skilled jobs, NRI children are very much part of, and even better integrated into, the Western scheme of things. But when it comes to rearing of children, most NRI parents try to observe Indian traditions.
All across Europe and America, most non-resident Indian families maintain a ‘floating existence' by not fully adhering to the Western social order. The new generation of immigrants from an ‘emerging India', unlike their predecessors harbouring a colonial cringe, arrive in the West more confident and convinced about their home culture. They stick to the family organisation principles and child rearing practices in India, while functioning well in the everyday life of the West.
This ‘floating existence' is a part and parcel of a greater part of Indian families living in the Western world. Thus, to a great extent, the apprehension among NRIs over the Norwegian child abduction issue emanates from the fact that what has been under attack is their very way of life itself.
(Sajan is a social anthropologist at University of Bergen and Idicula is a clinical neurologist and neuroscientist at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.)
Comments:
Third paragraph from the bottom "All across Europe ... life of the west", conceals a certainty on part of the writer, that immigrant Indians should discard their culture.
(A) While public life adjustment is necessary, domestically, change will be driven from within, and its not correct to institutionally make them discard their child rearing and social organization. Educated Indians ARE AWARE of the plus and minus points of their culture/social structure and child bearing practices, in ways an outsider cannot perceive. They are upgrading their domestic front while keeping their culture being influenced by their own thinkers in addition to others.
(B) Databases and statistical approaches in social sciences may be flawed(q.v.), as in inferences of what constitutes signs of abuse, and detection procedures and detection procedures.
(C) The no of babies relocated by officials is a performance figure for maximization.
(D) They'll defend all actions to the maximum by demonizing their victim.
Welldone Messers Sajan and Idicula!! You have succintly explained the
issue involved to the satisfaction of many a lot. Initially I was also
one who thought that the Norwegian child care services are inhuman and
racist.Now it very clear that they are a well intended welfare
organisation.
"What makes the abduction of Indian children controversial is probably the ‘silly' rationale put forward by the Norwegian CPS for such an act — accusation of hand-feeding and child parent co-sleeping."
This is the rationale the parents have told to Indian media about why the kids were taken. The CPS has denied that this is the case.
Hand-feeding and child parent co-sleeping, is normal in Norway and hence is no reason for removal of children.
The parents have the real reasons for the removal but have probably opted not to give this to the indian media.
The CPS are not allowed to make the documents public. They are at most allowed to refute lies.
Stop this colonial attitude. We do not need westerners to teach us how to take care of kids. We do it better than them; the materialism spread by the west is the cause of all child neglect and abuse and they need to take care of it in their own countries first before teaching us all their nonsense.
We are the oldest civilization; it is an insult that Thomas Sajan & Titto Idicula think they can educate us. This is unwanted advice, colonial arrogance and nothing else. All perversion has emanated from west and they can hardly keep up with it in their own lands. Leave us alone.
Norway is a perfect example not neo-socialist-fascist state emerging in the west where state control all parenting, indoctrination, value system etc. Everyone must CONFORM!! There is no freedom! State control everything in your private life -- how you practice your faith, how you raise your children and how what values you impart them. The state wants the children raise with the values that suits the interest of the state (agenda of those ruling the state). No more religious and personal liberties. Just watch! It is well known that in Norway this child welfare arm of the Govt is a powerful lobby that extends its long arms into every home and people's private affairs. It is also a big interest group employing many people, foster parents, child care centers etc. This is what happens when the government gets too big and crosses reasonable limits.
The Norwegian Child Protection Services are required by law to keep their reasons for removing a child from its family confidential. Whatever they were, they were not what was reported in the media. CPS in general is a pretty easy target to demonize. Becuse it has such strict confidentiality rules, opponents can claim pretty much anything in the media.
Eastern or Western way.
In the end , a kid needs a lot of love and attention. As long as it recieves that , then it is good for the kid.
And lastly , there is no school for becoming a parent.
Of course, in europe some people have got so used to the system and lost connections with reality of dealing with human emotions.
Not their fault and neverthless there is no perfect system and it always needs to be improved continuously.
This was done with good intentions by Norwegian authority , to ensure saftey of children. There could be some slips in system but more or less it protects. So let us not bring who teaches whom instead we indians should also learn some good thing from west ..We have so many kids neglected roaming on street, anybody looking after them? Where are their parents ?
I would not agree that the Norwegian case is applicable to all of west. One must
make a distinction between the english speaking part of the west and the non-
english speaking part.
In the non-english speaking part the pressure to completely conform to their way
of life is very strong, while countries like US, Canada, Australia and even UK you
can still be integrated into the society.
In countries like Norway, Germany, Denmark or Switzerland it is virtually
impossible for a non-european to become a part of the society and this dual
existence that is talked about here is the only way to live.
While Thomas Sajan may be correct that Norway ranks high in HDI, it must be
remembered that the Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Norway or Finland
are among the most racist countries in the western world.
The authors repeatedly refer to criticism by NRIs. I am a U.S.-based non-Indian watching the case. I don't question the need for a vigilant welfare system, but I certainly question one that takes children away from parents--for 18 years, with just a few hours of visits per year!--on flimsy grounds. The Norwegian journalist Carima Tirillsdottir Heinesen reported that after a few visits to the Bhattacharyas' home, child welfare authorities placed the toddler and his breastfeeding infant sister in an emergency shelter. The county board sympathized with the Bhattacharyas, saying "the problems of this situation should have been solved in a different and more thought-out way" and denied the request to remove the children before the Stavanger city court allowed it. Advocates including Ruby Harrold-Claesson (Sweden/Nordic Cmte for Human Rights) and Marianne Haslev Skånland (Norway) are vocal critics of this brand of child "welfare." The world is watching.
India being the largest democracy in the world rose in urgency to
protect the NRI children. I wonder what the government of India can do
to protect the children in India from child labour, malnutrition and
abuse by the landlords. Sajan and Idicula succinctly pointed out CPS,
Barnevernet, HDI, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Dual Existence of NRI’s, SSB,
floating existence, etc., deserves a big hand. I do not agree to the
previous comment made by Arun. I Hope the authors speak from their
lived experience in both countries. It is a wake up call to all our
netas in power corridors to protect the voiceless. Then we would be
able to proudly say emerging India, rising nation etc.
Messers Sajan and Aducala :)from the haloed precincts of Haukeland
University of Bergen are here to enlighten us about the Urgent need
of adopting an "efficient" child protection service like that of
high ranked Norway!(human development index).It is not uncommon for
malayalee intellegentsia(especially-compared to other NRI groups) to
clearly have rapturous visions and insights about lacunae of Indian
systems and way of life while they are on haloed foreign
territory:)Fortunately these two didnt ask us to remove our sandals
while reading this great article!(ala Moses at the burning bush).I
wonder if its a form of Stockholm syndrome:))
I want to ask how is the developed world doing even with these great
CPS organizations?
The authors try to pass this incident as a one off failure or
incidental failure of the efficient Barnevernet.But the FN report
clearly points to the contrary.Its time tough questions are asked to
non transparent powerful organisations like this.
part 2
If an honest mistake was made by the Barnevernet it should have been
corrected.But just look at the way it has behaved.There are plenty
more cases involving other nationalities where this powerful
organization has acted in an arbitrary manner.Even criticism from
the United Nations committee has fallen on deaf ears.
Another important delusion among Norwegians is their infallibility
regarding various matters like Environment,International peace
etc.and how they preach to other nations..case in point the
Srilankans during LTTE era:)They believe their systems are the best
and incorruptable:)There is a certain naivety on that count.
So i can hardly fault these malayalee gentlemen who are tryin to
sell us this great organisation which cannot be even questioned.
Atleast they seem dazzled by the fault free Utopian systems as
compared to the lowly indian state.Please grow up:)and remove ur
blinkers!
If you have more Norwegian models we need to adopt please enlighten
us about it here.
"Why did the NRIs criticise the whole Norwegian CPS as inhumane, instead of judging it as an incidental crack in the system?"
Human rights activists in your own country are calling this "kidnapping." It is well-documented that Norway and Sweden are compulsive kidnappers of healthy children.
If the two children in question here were seriously abused, then India has the right to know what kind of abuse happened. Were the kids assessed by any doctor, psychiatrist, neurologist? Was there any attempt made to help the parents to bring up their children in the way that Norway thinks is the right way? If any of these things have happened, then we Indians, the Indian media and the Indian state have a right to know. Until then, we have no option but to consider it as kidnapping to propagate the foster-care industry. Whether CPS is a social evil or this is an "incidental crack" in the system is not foremost in any Indian's mind at this point.
Many westerners live and work today in India, especially in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi. They don't even have dual existence. They have a single existence, that is of their native culture.
A reply to Tore Hartveit. Child Welfare version of the case, the media can get from the case documents. Parents have the documents. According to child welfare, it's about a lack of emotional connection. The problem with such assertions is that they are speculative. They are not based on proper research, but on ideology and opinions. The children are taken away from parents without proper evidence. That's how they do it in Norway.With both Norwegian and foreign families.
What a confused and desperate attempt to justify uncivilized behaviour from a corrupt system in Norway!
"India, the country with the largest child population in the world, still doesn't have a
credible database or reliable institutional mechanism with regard to child abuse."
Neither does Norway. All we have is a myriad of official "reports" and "statistics"
completely flawed in method and test-design, and used to demonise parents. It
furthermore completely covers up all the abuse inflicted by the CPS and their
helpers on children deprived by them of their parents.
To Arild Holta.
If the media have gotten the documents they are not publishing enough of them to make any sence. Lack of emotional connection is so general a term that it could mean a number of things.
If a media organization says it has all documents, and says that "lack of emotional connection is the reason for removal, then I will believe what they say. But I would still need the specifics behind this argument. Lack of emotional connection could be a number of things. Some not serious, some very serious.
Also there is a question of how much knowlege of psychology the reading journalist has. A written psychology statement could shock a psychologist while a layman would not see anything wrong. Likewise a psychology statement would shock a Layman while setting of no alarms for a psychologist.
The law of the land should be applied to those who want to stay in their country or if anybody has indulged in criminal activity. Have the Bhattacharyas committed murder, robbed or beaten any Norwagians? Is there any criminal case against them? If not, why are they not allowed to come back to India along with their children. Isn’t it ridiculous that they are teaching the children’s uncle how to take care of the children? Do they know Indian way of bringing up the children? Or are they saying that every child living in Norway should be brought up Norwagian way? If this is not racism what else is? So far not a single minister or official has visited Norway to resolve the issue. Look at Italy, how quickly they have reacted to save their nationals in spite of murder charges. Spineless Indian govt should learn from western countries regarding how to protect the honor of our citizens abroad and give them justice.
Three million cases of child abuse are reported each year.Primary
prevention of child abuse is defined as any intervention that prevents
child abuse before it occurs. Primary prevention must be implemented
on many levels before it can be successfl.Strategies on the societal
level include increasing the “value” of children, increasing the
economic self-sufficiency of families, discouraging corporal
punishment and other forms of violence, making health care more
accessible and affordable.
Strategies on the familial level include helping parents meet their
basic needs, identifying problems of substance abuse and spouse abuse,
and educating parents about child behavior, discipline, safety and
development. these cud be met in india also, depending on case to case
basis.
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