more-in Four-year-old Chaitanya was crest fallen on Children’s Day. His parents were separated and he had not seen his mother for over three months. But the boy did not fret. Instead, he stood in a protest gathering that demanded parents to end marital disputes for the sake of children. He was joined by 15 other children and over 50 parents who opposed divorce. In an initiative mooted by two non-profit organisations -- Save Indian Family and Share a Childhood Foundation -- a robust protest meet was organised in the city on Tuesday. During the event, parents and children observed satyagraha and took a pledge to protect and care for family values. Untying the marital knot should not be an option because children need the care and support of both the parents when they grow up, protesters maintained. Most children who joined in protest narrated how they were dragged through endless court procedures during the course of divorce. “I used to wait for hours in court corridors waiting for my parents to come out of the divorce lawyer’s chambers. For three years during which property disputes were also sorted out, I missed my classes regularly,” said S. R. Darsh, a 17-year-old. Most children said the uncertainty and insecurity that accompanied divorce process has had a toll on their mental health. “I shuttled between two homes during most of my life. Parental separation left me with anxiety and panic disorders,” a 15-year-old Sita Nirmala told The Hindu. High divorce rate Parents who participated in the children’s protest, promised to stay committed to their marriage. In the city where family courts have 25% surplus cases, divorce should be actively discouraged, parents stressed. “Couples should go for family counselling and other therapies which can help them stay together without compromises. Heading in the path of separation kills children’s positive world view,” Narendra Kumar, a parent and protester at the meeting said. Most parents who attended the satyagraha were those who opted out of divorce. “Together, my wife and I would have spent close to ?4 lakh on lawyers. The experience rekindled our faith in each other and we continued to live together,” Sai Gopal, another parent who turned up at the satyagraha venue to support the cause. Similar protests were organised in Vizag, Bangalore and Pune coordinators of the meeting said. “Most parents think their children can handle the pressure. But the truth is children from broken homes end up growing without confidence or courage,” Mr. Kumar added. The protesters pledged to conduct such awareness drives in residential areas through out the year.

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