Kochi: Puranchand, an autorickshaw driver based in Delhi, and his wife Anitha had almost given up hope of tracing their hearing and speech-impaired son, who went missing over five months back. It was then that they received a call from the Child Line authorities from Kochi two weeks back, assuring them that their 10-year old son Mondi was safe and that their re-union with him was not far way. What enabled the breakthrough was the intervention of a special Educator Rincy who managed to get some crucial details from the boy.
Earlier on March 22, the Railway Protection Force spotted the boy at the Ernakulam South railway station and promptly informed Childline activists. However, they could not elicit any useful information despite best of their efforts. Finally he was sheltered at a Child Care Institution (CCI) at Vaduthala at the direction of the Child Welfare Committee. “Since he could neither talk nor understand our language, it wasn’t easy to trace his whereabouts. We contacted the Childline Centres in Odisha after presuming that the words tattooed on his arm were in Oriya. But it was of no use,” said Nirish Antony, Coordinator, Kochi Childline Centre.
The Child Line authorities then decided to give long-term rehabilitation and special education for the differently-abled child and he was enrolled at the Special School at Neerpara with boarding facilities with the consent of CWC, Ernakulam, on May 29. There special educator Rincy managed to make successful communication with the child who revealed that he was from Delhi.
She passed his picture and information to her friend in Delhi who inturn managed to trace his parents. Upon seeing his parent’s picture the child was excited which confirmed his identity. “The child was eventually reunited with them after the ChildLine authorities produced him before the Ernakulam CWC to secure his release order for his return home with parents. They will leave for Delhi on Saturday,” Antony said.
