Juvenile Homes
“Emphasizing why juvenile home reforms were established”
Here we all have a choice about how to take the action against sordid condition.
On the one hand we can sugarcoat it like the way Wikipedia or Google or dictionary describe juvenile home as.
Which shows Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 is an Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to juveniles in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection, by providing for proper care, protection and treatment by catering to their development needs, and by adopting a child- friendly approach in the adjudication and disposition of matters in the best interest of children and for their ultimate rehabilitation through various institutions established under this enactment.
Well I were be convinced if it would be true but believe me that just not the truth.
There was a 396 per cent increase in child rape cases in the country between 2001 and 2016, a large number of the crimes committed in juvenile justice homes run and aided by the government.
This is the truth.
Not only one case there are thousands and of almost everyone who send into these reform centers; incident from Haryana was reported where a girl inmate of the government-run shelter home Bal Kunj at Yamunanagar, went missing. As per reports, the juveniles in the shelter homes were subjected to sexual and mental harassment by the caretakers and the owners.
A 12-year-old HIV positive boy was allegedly sexually abused in the national capital by a security guard and other older inmates.
A juvenile was booked for sodomise an inmate at David Sassoon Children’s Home (DSCH) in May year 2015 and lost his life due to a series of traumatic sexual assaults.
Every inmate, irrespective of age, was forced to consume liquor at night, especially on the occasion of Holi” and was subjected to abuse by the shelter home staff and outsiders. “It was like a crime ring.
Now what name should I give to these so called “reform centers”
A horror home?
A reform center?
A child abuse therapy?
Juvenile shelters becoming exploitation center it is clear by the environment there most special homes in India are characterized by crumbling infrastructure. These places display dilapidated standards of hygiene. Basic facilities such as bathroom and cleaning facilities are abysmal. The food and clothing provided are low-standard. In most special homes or observation homes, around 12 to 20 children share a room. The rooms are usually small and feel crammed due to overcrowding. There is no privacy, and as the spaces are cramped, levels of irritation and annoyance are high, because someone or the other is always around to create a certain level of disturbance. Overcrowding often leads to violent fights over trivial issues. one television over many children is the only source of entertainment, and with the violent and sexually explicit media content available these days, it is not uncommon to see them becoming less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, and more likely to engage in aggressive behavior because being caged inside a room for such long hours makes children bored and frustrated.
How can reformation take place when basic needs of the child are not being met?
Juvenile homes are hell holes rather than reform centers, many observation homes do not have proper time-tables for the children. They have nothing to do and often sleep till noon which making them lazy and encourage them to have vegetate life of no meaning. In contrast, there are homes, like DSCH, where children have a fixed routine with no flexibility. In these situations, children residing in the home get extremely rebellious. Sometimes, they behave in a passive-aggressive manner with authority figures.
Are these Juvenile shelter homes so bad that they are termed not less than hell?
I believe our system make laws, amend laws and have a choice to keep an eye if the authority is working properly like once the child serves a term, a juvenile justice board must ensure whether the child is fit to be put back into the society as more responsible citizen. The government should check on the environment if it’s good enough to change people and make them think about good things in life also make some provisions to ensure they come for counselling and therapy even after they are released. there really nothing which is hide from the society about government acts and laws and also about the suffering, menace , threat of what a child go through in the name of reformation and rehabilitation . Media, reporters, higher authorities and everyone aware of the reality they foul it, even we see what actually going on but no one really cares. And if anyone show cares his voice gets lower after one, two or more three months later and they forget if they initiate something. Now the point is why the victim himself do not take stand against their exploitation then and is some get used to it, some lost hope and do not thought about any brighter side of life and thus get depressed, and if anyone get that strength to say he is beaten as hell and sharing or speaking create difference only if action would be taken on that and here raising voice means calling a bull to create more menace, hurt to victim and thus he prefer to wait till his time is over, imitate to other city and leading peaceful life with threatening memory of reform home.
The system opposes on lowering the age of a child or establishing more juvenile homes. Why?? So there could count on more exploiting center?. The real issue that needs our attention is not the legal age of the juvenile or other. The issue that needs our urgent attention is the state of these reform homes.
Whatever be the age of the juvenile, do these reform homes today truly help in reforming juveniles in conflict with the law?
So here is the answer a boy Rahul was convicted for molesting his six-year-old adopted sister 11 years ago. The boy walked free after spending a few months at a juvenile justice home. Rahul is now 27 is back in jail again for raping the same girl who is now 17. He was arrested on December 17 last year on charges of rape. These incidences force us to ponder on a number of issues like, if Rahul was arrested and kept in juvenile justice home, what made Rahul rape the same girl and engage himself in a heinous crime than before.
Out of all the children placed in observation homes, less than 10 percent actually reform. Most get exposed to a more violent environment and are drawn towards committing more serious crimes in the future.
Now question aroused are juveniles being given a fair chance to reform?
Are the correctional facilities adequate to ensure that its inhabitants don’t turn into adult criminals once they leave its confines?
There we do not have exact answer to any questions raised because it’s true that India’s hell holes where inmates are subjected to sexual assault and exploitation, torture and ill- treatment, apart from being forced to live in inhuman conditions.
As Special homes in India need an immediate makeover. Counselling must be made mandatory. The staff needs to be regularly trained because, many a times, they are overworked and suffer from stress. There is also the issue of misappropriation of funds. Thus, regular inspection and monitoring must be done. The whole objective of the juvenile justice system is to ensure children get access to a better quality of life, education, and are integrated successfully into society. This is all to show in constitution because the reality seem adverse to it. And no one has come forward for crying souls even situation demands changes. But if demanding do not works initiative does. A small step can too make a difference. Children were seeking a support and affection and thus a team of “Art of living” raise their hands for work instead of raising voice and wasting time to wait for government to think about this matter.
The Art of Living is a DPI NGO (Department of Public Information), which means it plays an active role in communicating and contributing to various United Nations goals (such as the UN Millennium Goals and the Stand Up initiative). Team members analyzed that the best way to make it is by striking a good balance between structured activities and keeping time aside for children to do as they please for a certain amount of time also keeping children busy at all times. The art of living actually had the vision to bring about transformation in children, a lot of groundwork has done. Basic things like nutrition and sanitation changes were made to occur. Children provided with a safe environment and lots of vocational training programs to help build their future. The staff asked to behave sensitive and trained to handle the children at emotional and physical levels. All this started by the contribution of prashant saxena who by profession is an assistant commissioner and an AOL teacher. He came forward to work for meerut reform centers where there are 654 children under remand. when he first visited reform center he saw it as no less than hell. Shit foul, filthy surface, food which actually seem to be taken from dustbin, torn & disheveled clothes with deep wounds which easily can be noticed in the eyes of children that were seeking for help, it was crying loud to confess, hoping for a change. On contrast some violent eyes of hopelessness, frustrated, arrogant children, with no change label. Who dominates on caretakers, imitates and fight with every one another. This all needed to be at equanimity thus prashant and his team took the middle way rather being either more lenient or extremely careless. And for this children must have a proper routine they kept them busy at all times. Unless they are constantly engaged in constructive activities, they will not give up their old ways. Guruji says that there we all have same creative energy now you have to decide you want to transform it for violent acts or choose to do something meaningful. This was taught to all the children in meerut reform homes. It was not sudden implied to all the convict there. It started from regular visits, thought sharing, playing games, day outings, and food sessions to meditation, hoping for good, dreaming for better future, believing in one another. It was step approaching process. Children learned sudarshan kriya, sadhana, meditation, pranayama, light asana, with an energetic satsang and regular follow ups to enlighten everyone with pleasure and greet. which Results in remarkable decline in the anger and aggression levels and an increase in energy levels of inmates. There was an improvement in clarity of mind lethargy levels were reduced many said their fears have come down and decrease in sadness and depression. we found an improvement in physical well-being, increase in energy levels, Quality of sleep improved now this hell home of meerut was blossoming as lotus and revive as peaceful and pacify living. But this was just the beginning it was necessary to ensure how these children be in same discipline after they leave home. For this AOL adopt a more sympathetic outlook when addressing children under need of care and protection even after their trial is over. They were given an opportunity to make files so that no one sit idle and waste their time thinking about Past, and according to their work these children’s wages are transferred in their bank accounts which will be saving for their better future. This step of creating bank account for each proved to be a leading factor as now the children started dreaming for better in future which was actually the motive of juvenile homes.
Along with study many activities and events are organized as to train them in their interesting fields and hobbies. Best way to let them listen their inner voice and so to meet them their talent. Seva projects like gardening, team work tasks are given to children so that they understand the meaning of life, hard work, team work with honesty, and bond sharing. There was the time when these children supposed to be untouchable due to the place they belong. Now the one who meet these children fall in love with them due to the aura they have develop, their eyes talks more than they do, it shows that sudden change in their lives, confidence, unity. It shows that now they don’t need to cry for help instead they will work hard with the power of self-confidence they have achieved due to sudarshan kriya and pranayam.
So a small change could further be a big one this is what “ art of living” is about, a big wishes to all the volunteers and prashant saxena who make our vision come true and yes every good deed must be encouraged, prashant also awarded with “Bal Mitra Purushkar”. But the biggest achievement is that he revive many lives.
Jai guru dev
By
Diksha naruka