The Norway row has turned into a crisis of sorts. One one hand, it's the two children under the custody of Child Welfare Services Department in Stavanger, Norway, whose fate hangs in a balance. On the other, its a serious matter of a family disaccord that complicates it further.
The out-of-impulse reactions of the Govt, media and socio-political figures here in India, have led to the MEA being embarrassed after Anurup Bhattacharya, the father, alleged that the mother, Sagarika, was psychologically ill and offered that the kids must remain with the NCWS. This drama unfolded after months of campaigns and protests lodged by media against the Norwegian Authorities to either return the children to their parents or bring them back to India to their extended family. The politicians, meanwhile, pushed the MEA to take necessary actions while some people took to the streets protesting the ruthless Norway authorities for separating the children from their family.
Here, the Indian Govt is at fault. No doubt. It should have intervened into the matter decisively putting every facts and findings in place and then taking it up with the Norway Govt. It should probably have assigned a consul to represent India's case after it had done the preliminary enquiries into the matter with the help of the family and NCWS. And must have taken into account every aspect of the matter into consideration rather than just believing the biased reportage delivered across news channels.
The fact that every move made by the MEA in New Delhi was a knee-jerk reaction to the theatrics played out in the media, is simply outrageous.It sends out a signal strong enough to question the MEA's handling of issues pertaining to foreign nations with whom we share strategic depths otherwise. The MEA's unmindful interventions have not not only belittled our diplomatic terms with Norway but have also led MEA to have lost out on an opportunity to make a strong case to bring the children back to India.
The media also have some important lessons to learn from this case. Prima facie, giving the benefit of doubt to the family and portraying the Norway Child Care Services in bad light by enumerating cases where Russians had too protested against the NCWS, where their kids were taken away into their custody, is not good journalism. To have assumed the statements made by the parents regarding the reasons of the children being put into foster care to be true, and not respecting the international laws of confidentiality to rest with the jurisprudence of the Norway Govt and doubting the NCWS at the first place, very well explains the premature haste shown by the media which has led to this conundrum.
Yesterday, in all TV channels again this Norway issue was being discussed. But again for all the wrong reasons. It tried all its best, may be successfully, to pass the buck on the Govt and absolved itself of the responsibility to have messed up the case. The debates went on and on blaming the MEA to have overreacted and to have taken all wrong steps while interfering into the matter. Believe you me, the media doth protest too much.
The out-of-impulse reactions of the Govt, media and socio-political figures here in India, have led to the MEA being embarrassed after Anurup Bhattacharya, the father, alleged that the mother, Sagarika, was psychologically ill and offered that the kids must remain with the NCWS. This drama unfolded after months of campaigns and protests lodged by media against the Norwegian Authorities to either return the children to their parents or bring them back to India to their extended family. The politicians, meanwhile, pushed the MEA to take necessary actions while some people took to the streets protesting the ruthless Norway authorities for separating the children from their family.
Here, the Indian Govt is at fault. No doubt. It should have intervened into the matter decisively putting every facts and findings in place and then taking it up with the Norway Govt. It should probably have assigned a consul to represent India's case after it had done the preliminary enquiries into the matter with the help of the family and NCWS. And must have taken into account every aspect of the matter into consideration rather than just believing the biased reportage delivered across news channels.
The fact that every move made by the MEA in New Delhi was a knee-jerk reaction to the theatrics played out in the media, is simply outrageous.It sends out a signal strong enough to question the MEA's handling of issues pertaining to foreign nations with whom we share strategic depths otherwise. The MEA's unmindful interventions have not not only belittled our diplomatic terms with Norway but have also led MEA to have lost out on an opportunity to make a strong case to bring the children back to India.
The media also have some important lessons to learn from this case. Prima facie, giving the benefit of doubt to the family and portraying the Norway Child Care Services in bad light by enumerating cases where Russians had too protested against the NCWS, where their kids were taken away into their custody, is not good journalism. To have assumed the statements made by the parents regarding the reasons of the children being put into foster care to be true, and not respecting the international laws of confidentiality to rest with the jurisprudence of the Norway Govt and doubting the NCWS at the first place, very well explains the premature haste shown by the media which has led to this conundrum.
Yesterday, in all TV channels again this Norway issue was being discussed. But again for all the wrong reasons. It tried all its best, may be successfully, to pass the buck on the Govt and absolved itself of the responsibility to have messed up the case. The debates went on and on blaming the MEA to have overreacted and to have taken all wrong steps while interfering into the matter. Believe you me, the media doth protest too much.
