The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Kasaragod has finally reunited a minor mother with her 90-day-old daughter, 20 days after the Kerala government separated them. This move violated the child’s right to breastmilk and the mother’s right to nurse her daughter. According to child welfare officials, the Women and Childcare Home, managed by Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society, did not want to accommodate the infant in its home in Nileshwar, leading to the separation.
The minor mother, Deepti*, was impregnated by her boyfriend and live-in partner Sandeep* (17). Both belong to the Koraga community, which is a particularly vulnerable tribe. After Sandeep’s mother Lakshmi* took Deepti for a check-up at the primary health centre, the government came to know of their under-age live-in relationship. Despite the wide network of child rights volunteers, officials, and teachers, the government took away the heavily pregnant Deepti and lodged her at the Women and Childcare Home near Nileshwar in Kasaragod district.
Unfortunately, Deepti’s experience at the childcare home was unpleasant. Sandeep’s mother Lakshmi said, ‘The situation there is very bad. Deepti told us that she was not given proper food, and no one took care of her.’ The separation of the minor mother and her daughter is not an isolated incident. In a similar incident, the CWC in Malappuram district separated a 14-year-old girl from her one-and-a-half-year-old son, whom she was breastfeeding. After the incident was reported, the CWC reunited the child with his mother, Ayesha*.
These incidents highlight the need to prioritize the rights of the child and the mother, especially in vulnerable communities. As quoted by UNICEF, ‘Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for babies and young children. It can also provide health benefits for mothers.’ Hence, it is crucial to ensure that no child is separated from their mother and deprived of this essential source of nutrition.
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