New Delhi, Jul 06: Eight young and orphaned children from Churachandpur district who have been staying at two Orphanage homes in Rajasthan were recently evacuated to New Delhi by the Young Paite Association, Delhi Joint Headquarters.

The children and the two Homes they were staying in namely, Immanuel Orphanage Home, each at Dausa and Alwar in Rajasthan have been facing sustained harassment and threats from extremist Hindu groups, including Bajrang Dal.

The children have been attending the mission schools run by a Christian group at the two towns.

They were sent there about three years back with the help of affiliate Orphanage institutions in Churachandpur and some women's welfare groups.

The eight children who arrived here last Tuesday are Thangkhansiam, (11), Class V son of (L) Nengzathawng; Pausonlian, (10), Class IV son of (L) Nengzathawng; Paulawmsang, (6), Class I son of Nengzathawn; Tunkhansiam, (14), Class X son of (L) Nengzakham; Lianthianmuang, (13), Class VIII son of (L) Nengzakham; Thangneu, (13), Class VII son of (L) Damkholun of Salbung; Lhunkhohao (11), Class III son of (L) Damkholun of Salbung and Chochong, (10), Class III, daughter of (L) Satminthang of Tronglaobi.

Sources said the eight children were among the last to be evacuated from the two centres.

Earlier about 30 children from Manipur who were staying there have already been taken back by their relatives.

A source from YPA/Delhi said that the philanthropic organisation had dispatched two volunteers along with a Tata Sumo last Sunday on receiving SOS message that some children are still left with no one to evacuate them.

They arrived here in the wee hours on Tuesday.

However, other sources said that at least three more girls are stranded at the centres and that contact with them is not possible due to threats from the same Hindu groups.

The extremist Hindu groups had previously raised allegations of 'forced conversion' against these Christianrun institutions.

A source said that a local Court, hearing a petition, had recently ruled against these institutions which further emboldened the extremist Hindu groups.

Sources said that the local administration including the police have been actively colluding with and egging on the extremist groups to oust them.

The involvement of the State police in harassing the inmates is so deep that one of those rescued, Paulemsang, a six-year old boy from near Churachandpur, panicked even on seeing uniformed policemen on their arrival here last Tuesday at New Delhi.

Sources from the YPA/Delhi said that the children will be escorted to their own places in Churachandpur on Sunday.

Ironically, all of the children are orphaned with no proper homes to return to.

Hearing plight of these children, some donations have come in from people within India and abroad.

The YPA, Delhi has said that such goodwill donations are welcome.

Comment