You're a Thief ! - Part Two

This is an account of spending another day at the Observation Home for girls with Reshma. She herself starts telling me that she is very adamant about a lot of things. Like not wanting to go back home until her parents accept to come to visit her at the next hearing. She is happy and quite excited while she tells me about her experiences at home with her closed ones such as her mother and father. Her mother seems to be ignorant and quiet, as Reshma’s attitude with her mother at home describes. Her father seems to put pressure on her for not going out with her brother who asks her to steal things.

I further asked her about her activities at home which mainly focused on her daily routine. She tells me that she could go anywhere without any apprehensions at home. I asked her about her likes and dislikes. So, she happily tells me that she once saw a dream that she’s at a place where it is snowing heavily and is really cold but beautiful! She told her father the next day about it and he tells her that soon he’ll take her there. This happened when she was very young, maybe, 4-5 years old. But she doesn’t tell me where she went exactly. She visited Bulandshar with her brother Riyaz when she was quite young. When asked about how did he travel without having any money in hand. She says that he borrows money from friends for all his travels. While all this happened with her, she says that her mother has been unaware of her brother taking her along with him to various places.

She also shares about not getting a hair shampoo from the authorities to wash her hair and requests if I would be able to get one for her the next time I come to see her. I did not promise her instead told her that I’ll try, as counsellors were not supposed to give gifts or food to children in the observation home.

While leaving, I gave her an exercise to remember – it was to memorize the weekdays by writing them on a piece of paper. I did this intentionally because she kept telling me that she doesn’t feel like studying. But she readily agreed to learn the lesson and talk about it the next time I visited her. She asked me if she’ll get to go home soon and if she doesn’t.... she doesn’t care about what would happen! I asked her to again try and think about staying at the home or a hostel (to involve her positively) and she could inculcate some creative hobbies for sometime, just in case her parents do not accept her.

As I bid her goodbye she asked me if I could visit her more often.....I smiled back at her and gave her a hug.

Photo Courtesy: 'Vivid' by vmbui

You're a Thief ! - Part One

Back in the summer of 2009, I was appointed as a Counsellor by the Juvenile Justice Board on the request of a prominent child rights Advocate and an ex-colleague now, to rebound the lives of 4 very young girls held for petty offences under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2000. After meeting the officials at a Government Observation Home where the four girls were staying, I submitted my first observation report to the Principal Magistrate regarding all my observations during the visit.As a result of this, I was appointed as the Counsellor for all Children in Conflict with Law at the Observation Home for Girls through a new order passed by the Principal Magistrate.

As a fresher in this satisfying yet very challenging job of counselling these children I was not aware of the new awakening. I had to feel a connection with the young girl before things were to change. I was told by my colleague rather well to take care of what emotions I see coming from young Reshma (name changed). She was very intelligent, beautiful, mysterious, bold and to my amazement done it all at the age of 13. 

One of the youngest girls amongst the responsibility of the other 4. Reshma was residing at the OHG (Observation Home for Girls). Her antecedent in delinquency dated back to the occasion a couple of months back when her elder brother took her along with another cousin to show his in-laws house, but mid-way decided to change the plan and instead took them along to attend a wedding of some stranger.

Reshma was completely oblivious to the change of plan. She was, however, explained in advance about getting a bag from inside a room where the marriage ceremony was taking place. She was asked by her brother and cousin to act as if she was one of the family members from the bride’s side. She, then, at an appropriate time was asked to take the luggage carrying the valuables along with her and leave the place immediately. Her brother and cousin then took away some of the valuables from the bag after breaking the lock. Some of the cash and jewellery was given to Reshma to be kept at their home in a safe place.

Thereafter, as the incident unfolded itself the police was informed by the robbed family about the theft and the pictures of Reshma were matched and recognized from the wedding day by some complainants. She was

then apprehended, whereupon she told the police that she was directed by her brother to commit the whole act. Surprising me with each of her expressions and conversation skills, Reshma came across as a very quiet and introvert girl but I knew her personality would soon change with time. And she would definitely be different the next time I visit her........

Picture Courtesy: Maggie Cipriano, Madhu Gopalan