NRI kids row: Norwegian ambassador summoned

New Delhi: India's Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said it had called in Norwegian ambassador Ann Ollestad to express concerns about the children of a Bengali couple who were taken away by Norway's childcare services last year.

Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) M Ganapathi had summoned the diplomat to convey the Indian government's "continued serious concerns" regarding the two young children currently placed in foster care by the Norwegian childcare services.

Ganapathi drew the envoy's attention to the conversation that had taken place between Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Norwegian counterpart on Jan 23 this year, the Ministry said in a statement.

At the meeting Krishna had urged the Norway minister to find an amicable and urgent solution to ensure that the children are united with their extended family in India, it added.

Ganapathi noted that following this conversation, Arunabhas Bhattacharya, the uncle of the children had travelled to Stavanger and the Municipal Childcare Services had begun their assessment of the possibility of awarding him the care of the children so that they could return to India and be brought up in an extended family.

He also told the Norwegian ambassador that while this was a positive development, the issue must be resolved the soonest possible due to its humanitarian dimension.

Pointing out that cultural alienation could result from keeping such young children away from their own familial milieu, he strongly urged the Norwegian Government to do its utmost to expedite the process under way.

Ganapathi reiterated that it would be in the children's best interest to return to India as early as feasible so that they can grow up under the loving care of their grandparents and other family members.

The couple from Kolkata, Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, who are non resident Indian (NRI) citizens, have said that Norway's child protection service Barnevernet took away their two-and-a-half-year-old son Abhigyan and four-month-old daughter Aishwarya on May 11, last year.

The reason cited was that the couple were feeding the children with hands and making them sleep with them in the same bed.

On Nov 30, a court in Norway ruled that the two children will be placed in separate foster homes till they are 18, with their parents, who currently live in Stavangers city, being permitted to meet them only twice in a year for one hour at a time.

Earlier in January, the custody battle was solved when the Norwegian government had decided to hand over the children to their uncle.