VADODARA, July 26: Social measures are a must to prevent street children from being violent in their lives and there was also a dire need for a comprehensive action plan involving police and the social activists to check this social ill. This was concluded by the experts on the final day of the two-day seminar on, `Sensitisation and orientation training on street children to police officials,' held here on Sunday.Speaking on the occasion Dean of the Faculty of Social Work of M S University Anil Navle opined, ``Street children should be dealt with a lot of patience rather than beating them or taking away their mode of living.''
Explaining that the seminar was organised for the police officials, as they were the people who dealt with these children, Navle said that there were instances when these children were beaten up by the police, when the children were unable to answer their queries.
Expressing his opinion one of the constables said, ``Most of the time even if the children were dealt with patience they refused to divulge any information about their work.'' It, therefore, became necessary for the police to take stern action against them because they did not talk, he added.
To this one of the street children Pappu said, ``The police harass us even without knowing what we are doing.'' The police also took away their money and belongings on many occasions, he alleged.
Many expressed their opinion in favour of treating these children in a more favourable way and according to their temperament during the seminar.
The programme was jointly organised by the Vikas Jyot Trust, UNICEF and the state government.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
