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India Guards its Children Abroad

January 1, 2012 permalink

India has issued a démarche to Norway requesting that two children placed in foster care be allowed to return to India with their Indian parents.

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India issues demarche to Norway over 2 kids

India has issued a demarche to Norway conveying "serious concern" over the issue of the Scandinavian country taking away two children from an NRI couple. It has also advised Norway on the need for taking into account India's social and cultural traditions, besides demanding access to the children who are currently in foster care.

Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya's children Avigyan (3) and Aishwarya (1) were taken under protective care by Barnevarne (Norwegian Child Welfare Services), which claimed emotional disconnect with the parents, and placed them in foster parental care according to the local Norwegian court's directive. The couple has appealed against the court decision.

"The embassy in Oslo vigorously pursued the matter with the Norwegian foreign ministry on December 28. A similar demarche was made with the Norwegian embassy in New Delhi on December 29," a statement by the MEA noted.

The Indian government emphasised that the children be allowed to return if the parents decided to return to India as there could be no doubt that it would be in the "longterm interest of the children as they would be brought up in the loving care of their extended family" in India, the MEA stated.

Source: India Today

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