Kids in court to claim mother who ditched them for Radha Swami Beas sect

IBN - India

August 3, 2007

Hoshiarpur: Four children, the oldest of them aged 12 are spending their childhood in courtrooms and dealing with advocates and lawyers instead of spending their day in classrooms they are in a desperate search of their mother who abandoned them at home.

After three years of hunting for her, the children and their father discovered that Raj Rani had joined the Radha Swami Beas sect and was living inside the sect's campus at the home of a retired IAS officer I D Kanwar.

"We went to there but I D Kanwar did not allow us to meet our mother and threatened us us and sent us away,” says 11-year-old Jatinder Singh.

The father, Satpal singh, says he tried to get his wife out of the Dera, but was threatened was well and driven to debt.

"They threatened me. I don't have the money to keep going back again and again. I have already taken a loan,” he says.

The children's aunt who has been takiing care of the them alleges that Kanwar, the retired IAS officer, is not letting Raj Rani leave.

"The children are scared when they go to school,” says Balwinder Kaur, Satpal Singh’s sister.

For the children, not having their mother with them had some practical problems.

“I need mother because I do my all household chores myself. Only my aunt helps me,” says 10-year-old Reema.

But these practicalities are completely overshadowed by their emotional needs.

“We went to meet our mother but nobody allowed us to see her. I saw my mother then I was little baby,” says Priya.

Now the only hope for these children are the courts and law that says mothers have equal responsibilities as the father to bring up children.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/kids-in-court-to-claim-mother-who-ditched-them-for-dera/46138-3.html