New Delhi:
There has been a growing clamour to reassess the law which allows those involved in road accidents to get away with minimum punishment. Even as they walk free in most cases, children who lose their families in these accidents struggle to make sense of the world in government welfare homes.
Preeti, Shivam and Saina are at the government welfare centre still without a family.
Almost ten days after they lost their mother in a car accident, the children are trying to track an uncle, the only family they now have.
Preeti accompanied the police to their native village to get some news of their uncle but they found nothing.
On Saturday, Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Chief Minister told NDTV that her administration was trying to figure out how to help the girls. However, just financial help may not be enough.
"There are several cases where the relatives come to claim children if they get some money as aid. But then they do misuse the money. So in 5 years the children may be back to square one. In these cases we do not get to follow up that much may be max for 2 years," said Rekha Arora, Director, Child Welfare centre.
For some children, aid in kind has worked out better.
Thirteen year old Preeti has been staying at a juvenile aid centre in South Delhi since her father was killed in a road accident 2 years ago.
She had no other family; her mother had died when Preeti was only 3 and so the police brought her to this juvenile home.
"Preeti has been here since July 2008. She is not quite normal; she needs emotional support at times. They never get justice, the person who did the accident wasn't even identified," said Kanak Pande, Preeti's counsellor.
Though she is still recovering from trauma, she's at least getting a good education, sponsored by the trust.
Deprived of the love of both her mother and father, Preeti has now learned to survive and succeed. An ambitious girl, Preeti wishes to become a lawyer when she grows up.
Hopefully, by the time she becomes a lawyer, there will be a tougher law to punish people like the one responsible for her father's death.
Preeti, Shivam and Saina are at the government welfare centre still without a family.
Almost ten days after they lost their mother in a car accident, the children are trying to track an uncle, the only family they now have.
Preeti accompanied the police to their native village to get some news of their uncle but they found nothing.
On Saturday, Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Chief Minister told NDTV that her administration was trying to figure out how to help the girls. However, just financial help may not be enough.
"There are several cases where the relatives come to claim children if they get some money as aid. But then they do misuse the money. So in 5 years the children may be back to square one. In these cases we do not get to follow up that much may be max for 2 years," said Rekha Arora, Director, Child Welfare centre.
For some children, aid in kind has worked out better.
Thirteen year old Preeti has been staying at a juvenile aid centre in South Delhi since her father was killed in a road accident 2 years ago.
She had no other family; her mother had died when Preeti was only 3 and so the police brought her to this juvenile home.
"Preeti has been here since July 2008. She is not quite normal; she needs emotional support at times. They never get justice, the person who did the accident wasn't even identified," said Kanak Pande, Preeti's counsellor.
Though she is still recovering from trauma, she's at least getting a good education, sponsored by the trust.
Deprived of the love of both her mother and father, Preeti has now learned to survive and succeed. An ambitious girl, Preeti wishes to become a lawyer when she grows up.
Hopefully, by the time she becomes a lawyer, there will be a tougher law to punish people like the one responsible for her father's death.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
