A front-page report in this paper about a missing boy from Mulund walking into his home one year later put some sunshine and smiles into readers' lives
A front-page report in this paper about a missing boy from Mulund walking into his home one year later put some sunshine and smiles into readers' lives. An accompanying piece of advice from a former cop, a specialist in reuniting missing persons with their families, is gaining traction, given the large number of people who go missing. This tough-as-nails cop, who still counts the joy of families being reunited with their missing relatives as his most prized achievement, has valuable advice for young adults and children, who he says, are getting lured into leaving their homes over a fantasy.
The missing person's specialist has cautioned youngsters to be wary of the rosy picture shown on social media by conmen and women, who promise them a dream life. It is time to think, introspect, and weigh the claims of those who dangle all these prospects in front of you. It may also be time to tell your parents and then take a call if you want to go to the cops, because it may be part of a big-time racket to inveigle young people. Then, said the specialist, the runaways are used for begging, petty crime, or even fall prey to the sex trade.
In an age of quick click responses, youngsters tend to leave their family for things as small as not getting permission to watch movies, being scolded for not studying or not performing well academically in schools and colleges. Youngsters must realise that a reprimand does not equal rejection, and the answer is not in leaving home. Take recourse to talking over and discussing issues and creating avenues for support and help. Running away is never a solution. Youngsters must realise that life outside may have a dark underbelly from which there may be no return.
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