Update, March 19, 2012: More than a month after agreeing to transfer custody of the children to the children’s uncle, the kids still languish in Norway’s foster care system. Indian politicians are headed to Norway to participate in the custody hearings. Norway should be fined a million dollars a day for holding the kids hostage. That should get them to return the kids promptly.

And shame on other European countries for not calling on Norway to return the kids immediately. By being quiet on this issue, the European Union is condoning such atrocities in Europe.

It appears the parents need to work out some things for themselves. This should be easier in their own cultural setting.

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Update, Jan 23:Norwegian child welfare services listed other shortcomings in the parenting of the Bhattacharyas. These include (are you ready for this?), unsuitable toys and clothes, insufficient room for the children to play in the house and lack of a basinnette or diaper changing table .

… the couple does not own a basinette/diaper-changing table. The child’s diapers are being changed on a bed, an arrangement much lower than a traditional Norwegian basinette/diaper-changing table.

This was justification enough to take the children away from the biological parents and send them to foster care till they were 18 years old. Verily a sophisticated way of kidnapping children.

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Update, Jan 23: Norway seems to have offered a face-saving deal; custody of the 2 children would be handed over to the grandparents in India, according to India’s External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. The grandparents will have to agree to provide full-medical care for the kids. There is no mention of Norway apologizing for removing children from their linguistic and cultural background during a key phase of their development. Further once in India, the children can continue to be fed with the fingers.

Statistics from Norway on the number of children they place in Foster care.
And, Save our children and families from Child Protection in Norway [Read more...]