Ordeal for citizenship adds miseries to street children

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Dec. 30: Rajesh Thakuri, now a security guard at a private school in Kathmandu, does not know his exact age. Even his surname Thakuri is not inherited from his parents. His troubled, abusive early childhood landed him in the streets of Kathmandu, depriving him of a fixed permanent address. Today, he is paying the price of his ill fate, as the authorities tell him to show evidence of his address in order to get the citizenship certificate, which is a must to get a job or join government service.

"I must have been around 5 or 6 years old when I used to roam in Ratna Park all alone. My father was a drunkard and being unbale to tolerate torture from her drunk husband, my mother left home. A couple had later adopted me, but things did not go well, and I again landed in the streets," said Rajesh, whose surname comes from the family that had briefly sheltered him.

According to Kabita Rajya Shah, Resource Executive of SathSath, an organisation that helps homeless kids to obtain birth certificates and citizenship certificates by preparing legal documents, she saw Rajesh in Thamel, and later in Basantapur over a decade ago.

"In those days, there were lots of such street children in Kathmandu. Only a few of them were lucky enough to grow up in the child care centres. This means the others could not produce legal documents when they needed citizenship,” she added.

According to Rasana Dhakal, a social activist who works for the rights of women and children, the street kids of yesteryears, who have become adults now, are struggling to obtain the citizenship certificates.

"Today, things are relatively better for homeless kids as the authority takes action; they are sent to the child care centres. We cannot say this is happening cent per cent even now, but comparatively we see fewer street kids these days," Dhakal said, adding that the likes of Rajesh have nobody around to attest to their address.

It is not that Rajesh, who now seems to be in his late 20s, never came across shelter homes. But the carefree, anarchic lifestyle back in the street made him restless.

"It was very strict in those organisations, and the boys like us used to run away from there. We would also fear punishment, elders used to punish us for committing a minor mistake," Rajesh recalls.

Asha Rai (name changed), whose mother died when she was a second grader, has an equally painful tale to share. She was also in the streets of Kathmandu on and off. "I developed many wrong habits when I was in the streets. I was sent to child care centres or hostels, where I could study, but that was easier said than done," she said.

Rai's mother had married thrice. She was born out of wedlock with her second husband. The entire family was drenched in the habit of drinking alcohol. Rai stated that the wrong habit ruined everything.

"Now I understand that many things went wrong because people then did not take sensible steps. In our community or neighbourhood, drinking was so common that even my mother died of illnesses caused by her drinking habit," she said.

Her difficult childhood has also taken a toll on her psychological health. Considering her helpless situation, SathSath has hired her as a paid staff member.

"She has been working here as well as undergoing psychological treatment. The issue of citizenship has also left those children restless. They are quite worried for their future," said Shah.

Meanwhile, Devi Prasad Dotel, an officer at National Children Rights Committee (NCRC), stated that there cannot be statelessness for any kid.

"Even if one is abandoned by the family, there must be someone to verify their identity. On that basis, the children should be provided with the citizenship certificate," he elaborated.

As per its record, the National Centre for Children at Risk (Balbalika Khoj Talash Kendra), which has its branches across the country except for Mustang district, handed over around 4,500 children to their families in the last 16 years. Nearly 1,500 children were sent to shelter homes.

Dotel stated that there are a few organisations which prepare legal documents of the homeless children. SathSath, meanwhile, reported that it is struggling to prepare documents of a dozen street kids as they have no sources to speak for them.

"We are preparing to move the court to fight for the citizenship of Rajesh and a few other children like him. As they're adults now, even the NCRC doesn't take responsibility for them," said Shah.