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Norway custody row ends, kids back in India with their uncle New Delhi, April 24 Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur was at the airport to welcome the Abhigyan (3) and Aishwarya (1), who were escorted by their paternal uncle, Arunabhas, and their Norwegian foster father. Their return to India came after sustained diplomatic pressure mounted by the government and a protracted legal battle lasting almost a year. The children were taken away from their parents -- Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya -- by Norway's Child Welfare Services in May last year on grounds of “emotional disconnect” and negligence. However, the parents of the children denied the charges, saying it was a case of cultural misunderstanding. Welcoming the return of the children, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna thanked Norway for allowing the children to return to India. "They belong to India. They are Indian nationals. I am confident that their uncle will take care of them in the environment of their extended family in India," he said."I thank the Government of Norway and, in particular, the Foreign Minister for his constructive approach in resolving this humanitarian issue. I wish to congratulate the judicial system in Norway for taking such an enlightened decision. All is well that ends well," Krishna said. Reacting to the children’s return, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said New Delhi’s position in the matter had always been that the they be permitted to live in an Indian environment with their extended family. “We hope the uncle will take good care of the two children,” he went on to state. Family overjoyed
In Kolkata, Monotosh Chakravorty, the relieved grandfather of the children, thanked the government and media for their sustained efforts in ensuring their release. "I have been waiting for this day. I have been fighting to see their return. And now actually that has happened..we are very much happy," he said.
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