Programs

CHAURAHA (CROSSROADS)

(1) Aakash Kelkar’ s Story:
Aangan works closely with Juvenile Justice Boards to support the child and his parents
In October 2009 the social worker from the Juvenile Justice Board that sits at the District Probation and After-care Association, Bhiwandi, Maharashtra asked the Aangan social worker to work with a 15-year-old boy who had been brought to the OH a month earlier for hitting his mother with a brick. The JJB social worker informed the Aangan social worker that the boy was adopted and his parents no longer wanted him. The child had refused to reveal much to the Juvenile Justice Board making it difficult for them to come to a decision. Seeing the miasma of negative emotions – anger, fear, hurt, betrayal – engulfing the family, the magistrate realized everyone needed time to cool down. He urged Aakash’s father Satish to stay calm and wait till the chargesheet was filed. In the mean time, the Aangan worker began to work with Aakash.

This was how on a November afternoon the Aangan social worker found herself sitting across a 5’ 9’’ gangly teenager. Aakash confessed to the Aangan social worker that he had hit his mother Sarita Kelkar. He said he was deeply repentant and revealed the circumstances surrounding the incident. During a seemingly minor argument over money, Aakash had lost his temper, reached for a nearby brick and hit his mother. For some time he did not know what had happened. When he finally realized what he had done he went into the bedroom in the dark and cut his wrists with a blade. According to him a while later he “fell asleep”. In the evening when his father returned home from work he was shocked to see the Sarita mother lying in a pool of blood. He immediately took her to the hospital. He simultaneously informed the police. The police came and found Aakash in the bedroom. Since he too had lost a lot of blood they first took him to a hospital, got his wrist stitched and then brought him to the Observation Home. He requested the Aangan social worker to talk to his parents. He said he has no complaints; he just wanted them to give him some privacy.

This conversation with Aakash also uncovered a host of other deep scars. Aakash had come to know of his adoption accidently when he was around eight years old and that too from his neighbors.  He confronted his parents and asked why they had not told him about it sooner. Moreover, since his parents had adopted from an adoption agency instead of one of their relative’s children, their relatives had severed all ties with the Kelkars. Aakash said his parents often blamed him for this estrangement. He complained his parents did not trust him and even today did leave him alone at home. He revealed that a while ago he had run away to Delhi where he lived for a month. He had come back hoping things would be different. Unfortunately they weren’t.

After an hour and half of talking to the child the Aangan social worker was ready to give her preliminary assessment. She recommended that a counsellor start working with the child as soon as possible and also let the JJB know that considerable support needed to be provided to both child and family. The JJB concurred and individual counselling began with the child within the OH in December.

On 20th Nov. when the JJB social worker and Aangan caseworker met Aakash’s parents his mother started crying. Both parents said they did not want to take Aakash back. They said that they did not trust him and feared he could even kill them. When the social worker and caseworker tried to facilitate a meeting they refused saying they did not have the courage. Aakash’s father added that the neighbours were very angry with Aakash and determined not allow him to come back. The JJB social worker explained to the Aakash’s parents that they could not abandon him in an orphanage; legally he was their son and they could not simply give him up.

After much discussion and preparation by the Aangan social worker Aakash’s mother agreed to meet him. Aakash’s father, though, was not convinced. He worried that his wife might faint and tried to discourage her from meeting him. He suggested they should meet him in couple of months during which time the child should remain in the OH. But the socialworkers managed to convince his mother at least to see him and decide if she could meet him.
Contrary to everyone’s expectation Mrs. Kelkar did not look frightened when she met Aakash. She expressed concern for his wellbeing and asked him how he was doing. Aakash’s father, however, stood a few feet away from them refusing to take part in the conversation. 

Post this reunion the Aangan social-worker spent time individually with parents trying to convince them about the importance of maintaining contact with their child in order for both to continue to feel a sense of attachment. The social-worker also assured them that Aangan counsellor will work intensively with Aakash and follow up on psychiatric intervention if needed. The day Aakash was supposed to be released Aakash’s father still refused to take the child back home. Seeing no other way the magistrate told him that he would have no choice but to  file a case against them under section 23  about Punishment for cruelty to juvenile or child of the Juvenile Justcie (Care and Protection) Act for abandoning their child. The father relented.

Four months laters, Aakash is now back with his parents after pleading guilty. He has found work in a travel agency.  The Magistrate has ordered Aangan worker to counsel both Aakash and his parents as part of his final order with the aim of facilitating better communication between the child and the parents. Both Aakash and his parents are currently in counselling. The Aangan social worker makes regular home-visits to get updates about Aakash which are submitted to the JJB. Aakash’s parents have expressed that they feel more reassured talking to the caseworker and hearing about Aakash’s progress.

(2) Kirti Chaubey:
Aangan counsels young offenders and facilitates the reintegration process
“Didi maine yahan pe sabko jhootha naam bataya hain. Mera naam Pooja nahi Kirti hai.” replied the girl tearfully to the Aangan social worker. Bit by bit her story tumbled out. 16 year old Kirti Chaubey was picked up by the Thane police on Friday, 12th June 2009 for allegedly stealing jewellery from a temple. When the Aangan social worker met Kirti on Monday she said that since she had run away from home and was scared to go back she had lied, almost instinctually, to protect herself.

Kirti, who had recently taken her Std. X board exams, came from a very conservative family in Kanpur. Her mother, especially, did not approve when Kirti spoke to any boy whether he was her classmate or her best friend’s brother. Her mother constantly kept tabs on her and was suspicious of everything she did. Frustrated with the distrust and unable to persuade her family, Kirti, after a final showdown, left home on 30th May 2009. In search of work Kirti first went to Lucknow and having no luck there came to Mumbai. She said she had gone to the temple with someone she met at the railways station and the police picked her up while she was handling the silver utensils at the temple. She said she hadn’t stolen anything. Kirti gave her phone number and real address to the social-worker and said, “Jomain aapko bata rahi hun voh sahi hai. Aap madam ji ko batiye toh voh mere ghar pe phone karengi” [What I am telling you is the truth. If you tell ma’am (JJB social worker) she will phone my family].
The Aangan social-worker submitted her report to the Juvenile Justice Board. The magistrate directed the social-worker to phone her parents immediately. The social-worker promptly dialled the number Kirti had given and after verifying that the speaker on the other end was indeed Kirti’s mother handed the phone to Kirti. Kirti’s ordeal, however, was far from over. No sooner had Kirti taken the phone that her mother started berating her saying, “Tumne hamara muh kaala kar diya. Jaroor kisi ladke ka chakkar hoga” [You have dishonoured the family. Surely this must have something to do with a boy.] A few minutes later Kirti’s handed the phone back to the Aangan social-worker saying, “Main ghar nahi jaana chahati. Mummy chilla rahi hain” [I don’t want to go home. Mom’s yelling (at me)]. The caseworker took over. Kirti’s mother told the social-worker that she wants nothing to do with Kirti. Sure that she had run away with a boy, Kirti’s mother refused to come pick her up. The Aangan social-worker assuaged her fears. She assured the mother that the girl was alone when the police found her. The social-worker convinced Kirti’s mother that Kirti was truly sorry for running away from home. Her experiences had made her wiser. Finally, the mother agreed to come pick her up in a fortnight.

When the magistrate was informed of this, he called up the Thane police station immediately from the Juvenile Justice Board itself. He told them to file the chargesheet as soon as possible so that a judgement can be passed without delay and when the mother was in the city.

Ten days later when  Kirti’s mother came to Bhiwandi, the JJB social-worker as well as the Aangan social-worker spoke to the mother in order to uncover any obstacles to the rehabilitation process. The mother during the conversation disclosed that the family had decided that Kirti should be married off. The JJB social-worker asked the Aangan social-worker to have a session with the mother about the legal ramifications of this decision as well as the emotional repercussion for the girl. The Aangan social-worker helped the mother understand that since Kirti was under 18 it was illegal for her to be married. She also brought to the mother’s attention that her mistrust of her daughter and excessive monitoring built up resentment in Kirti which had ultimately led her take this drastic step of running away from home. Kirti was an intelligent, ambitious girl who wanted to stand on her won feet. She needed their support and encouragement or she might run away again. This convinced the mother who promised to allow Kirti to join some vocational course so that she could earn money and learn to become independent.
By 26th June the chargesheet of Kirti’s case had already been filed by the police upon the magistrate’s orders. Kirti pleaded guilty and was released into her mother’s custody by the JJB after a warning.

A month later the social worker followed up the case a month later over the phone. Kirti said she was working in a call centre and doing very well.

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