Norway child custody row: India wants kid united with natural parents
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that India will convey to Norway authorities that the Indian-origin child who is under their custody should be united with his natural parents.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that India will convey to Norway authorities that the Indian-origin child who is under their custody should be united with his natural parents.
Sushma’s response came after Gurvinderjit Kaur, whose son has been taken away by the Norwegian authorities, wrote to Sushma Swaraj in this regard seeking her help.
"Our Ambassador in Norway is meeting the Norwegian authorities today regarding Aryan. I refuse to accept that foster parents can take better care of the child than the natural parents. The foster parents are totally ignorant of the Indian culture and our food habits,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
"We want restoration of Aryan to his natural parents. This is our firm stand and Indian Ambassador will convey this to the Norwegian authorities," she added.
Gurvinderjit Kaur had approached the Indian Embassy in Oslo seeking government's intervention, following which the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it will now chalk out the future course of action in the case.
Kaur had approached the Indian government with the "formal written" request in this regard, BJP leader Vijay Jolly said.
Kaur and her husband, who is a Norwegian national, have alleged that authorities in that country have taken away their 5-year-old son Aryan, also a Norwegian national, on a frivolous complaint of abuse.
In its response, the Norwegian Embassy had asked for "restraint" in the case, assuring that it is being handled with "complete sensitivity and awareness".
According to Jolly, the Indian Ambassador "is slated to meet highly placed Norwegian officials in Oslo on December 27".
Jolly also maintained that according to the mother, the child is being "daily served porridge and bread while he is fond of Indian food".
This is the third case since 2011 when children have been taken away from their Indian-origin parents by the authorities in Norway on the grounds of abuse.
In 2011, a three-year-old and a one-year-old were separated from their parents, prompting the then UPA government to take up the issue with Norway.
The Norwegian court later allowed the children to be reunited with their parents.
In December 2012, an Indian couple was jailed on charges of ill treatment of their children, 7 and 2 years. Later, they were sent to their grandparents in Hyderabad.
(With PTI inputs)