Ardent airs concern in Assembly

Abandoning of babies
SHILLONG: The worrying trend of parents abandoning newborn babies echoed on the floor of the House on Monday with HSPDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit raising the issue in the Assembly.
Expressing concern over the trend, Basaiawmoit said it was a shame that he had to raise the issue on the floor of the House as such practices were never a part of tribal societies.
In her reply, Social Welfare Minister Deborah Marak, in a statement placed in the House, said that as per records, the total number of abandoned babies since 2013 was eight which included four male and an equal number of females. However, there were no incidents of abandoning of babies in 2011 and 2012 as per the records, which Basaiawmoit found hard to believe.
He said that abandoning of infants has become a frequent affair and the same is evident from the incidents reported in the local newspapers.
Quoting various sections of IPC including 315 and 317, the HSPDP legislator said that those who abandon babies can be tried for foeticides and infanticides.
“Exposure and abandonment of children under twelve years by parent or guardian shall make them liable to be imprisoned for a term which may extend up to seven years, or with fine, or both,” Basaiawmoit informed.
The legislator wanted to know from the Minister as to how many persons were arrested and punished for abandoning children. However, the Minister said that she did not have the records with her.
To a supplementary question, the Minister said that abandoning babies is a serious crime and the state government had already notified the national policy for children for the protection of children.