Indian software professional, V Chandrasekhar working for the TCS at Oslo, has been awarded a prison term of 18 months while his wife, Anupama has been awarded a 15 month term by the district court there for physically abusing their seven year old son, Sai Sairam.
Sai had complained to his teacher, about nine months back, that his parents were threatening to punish him severely and send him back to India for wetting his trousers in the school bus. He'd burn marks on his lower leg which was thanks to the scalding from a heated spoon, that his father had used. The father had also beaten him with his belt. Consequently many a time, Sai wasn't very keen to return to his home after school hours because he dreaded his parents.
The case has been disposed off quickly thanks to the efforts of the 'Norwegian Child Welfare Authorities'.
My take.
1. I must laud the efforts of the Norwegian Child Welfare Authorities in bringing to book the people indulging in ill treating the children.
2. Having said that, don't the parents have the right to use corrective measures - to use the rod even, at times - against errant behaviour on the part of their children? No, I do not support child battering and any physical abuse like scalding, whacking with external objects or verbal abuse using gutter language is a strict no no. But a whack with a cane on the child's palm or its rear, boxing of the ears or a 'pinch' on the upper arm(my mom's favourite punishment and I've received quite a number of them as I was a naughty child but I don't hold any grudges against her!) can pass muster.
3. Can the child's words be taken at face value? What about the tendency, in most kids, to exaggerate things and gain sympathy for its cause?
Tailpiece.
(a) Will the relationship between the parents and young Sai ever be the same?
(b) It's the ideal time for Sai's grandparents to step in and provide the soothing balm to the deep wounds - inflicted unwittingly by the incident - of the parents and the child.
Sai had complained to his teacher, about nine months back, that his parents were threatening to punish him severely and send him back to India for wetting his trousers in the school bus. He'd burn marks on his lower leg which was thanks to the scalding from a heated spoon, that his father had used. The father had also beaten him with his belt. Consequently many a time, Sai wasn't very keen to return to his home after school hours because he dreaded his parents.
The case has been disposed off quickly thanks to the efforts of the 'Norwegian Child Welfare Authorities'.
My take.
1. I must laud the efforts of the Norwegian Child Welfare Authorities in bringing to book the people indulging in ill treating the children.
2. Having said that, don't the parents have the right to use corrective measures - to use the rod even, at times - against errant behaviour on the part of their children? No, I do not support child battering and any physical abuse like scalding, whacking with external objects or verbal abuse using gutter language is a strict no no. But a whack with a cane on the child's palm or its rear, boxing of the ears or a 'pinch' on the upper arm(my mom's favourite punishment and I've received quite a number of them as I was a naughty child but I don't hold any grudges against her!) can pass muster.
3. Can the child's words be taken at face value? What about the tendency, in most kids, to exaggerate things and gain sympathy for its cause?
Tailpiece.
(a) Will the relationship between the parents and young Sai ever be the same?
(b) It's the ideal time for Sai's grandparents to step in and provide the soothing balm to the deep wounds - inflicted unwittingly by the incident - of the parents and the child.
No comments:
Post a Comment