PRESS RELEASE

CRISP is an NGO formed on 24th May 2008, by people who recognize the serious effects of Parental Alienation of children due to single parent families on account of divorce or separation. CRISP is also focusing on furthering the rights of children to remain connected with both parents. Our aims and objectives are based on research findings. We are a group of people from all walks of life, like software engineers, doctors, teachers, businessmen, social workers, etc. which includes women and senior citizens to address this burning issue of our present day society and its realities.

CRISP has organized National Father's Day Rally on Saturday, the 20th June,2009 between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM at Mahatma Gandhi Statue, M.G. Road, Bangalore, to demand FAMILY LAW REFORMS and to highlight the grievances of Fathers deprived of children's access due to biased laws and failure of our system on all fronts.

Father's Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated worldwide. In India also the Father's day is being celebrated since many years as an expression of love and tribute to the Fathers. The present day fathers participate equally in parenting of their children, in all spheres of their development, physically, mentally and emotionally due to the changing scenario of our family system, especially in cities and their role is paramount.

Unfortunately, however, the divorce rates are also going up substantially. There are more than 13,000 cases in the Family Courts of Bangalore alone, pending disposal and lakhs of cases in the country. CRISP is concerned with the growing custody battles between the parents and the ill effects on the children due to their parents' separation. We at CRISP, which includes fathers, mothers and grandparents have charted a Pro-Family agenda and are actively working against and exposing Anti-Family organisations and systems. We speak for the rights of the innocent impacted Children who are deprived of the love and affection of both their natural parents and shared parenting is the only alternative arrangement to spend quality time with both the parents.
The traditional Indian Value system has undergone a sea change from the olden days where the mother was the nurturer and fathers the provider to the child. Now the present day father is equally competent in taking care of the needs of the child and in taking on the responsibilities of child upbringing and in no way inferior to the mother and this mindset against fathers is not valid. Serious disorders like Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS),which is the worst form of child abuse wherein one parent out of revenge against the other parent deprives the child of the love and affection and care of the other parent and Reactive Associative Disorders, warp a child's development. Studies have shown that there is a tendency for such children to become criminals in their later years, for which the society and our system are directly responsible. For details please see CRISP website http://www.crisp-india.org

Child Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), demands the following:

• Grant equal access to the separated parents who are keen to take care of their children as a practice and make this law mandatory.

• Educate the parents on shared parenting and benefits for the welfare of the child through compulsory counseling before the decree of divorce is granted.

• Punish persons who misuse 498A (Dowry Act) and Domestic Violence Act as a tool to deprive the father from child access.

• Set up special courts to deal with child custody cases and address the problems faced by the parents who have been deprived of the any visitation/joint custody.

• All custody/ visitation cases should be disposed off as a TOP PRIORITY, within 3 months of application.
• Ban child interviews when the children are of tender age, who have not had adequate access with the non-custodial parent.

• Parents who don't follow court orders pertaining to children should be punished and also declared unfit to be a guardian for the child.

• CRISP urges a separate Ministry for Children and to delink the same from the present Women and Child Development ministry, since the objectives are different.

• Evening courts should be set up so that litigants need not have to apply for leave.

• Mediators should be trained by child psychologists to keep children's interest in mind and encourage shared parenting and what is in the best interests of the child.

• Create a Family Court and make available all the information on this (emulate the High Court example)

• India should accede to United Nation's Convention of International Parental Child Abduction.

About CRISP and its Achievements 

1. Educated the system about the concept of SHARED PARENTING and its advantages.
2. About 1000 members across India and abroad and growing.
3. Weekly meetings, successfully launched various centres in the country to give mutual support in counseling and legal awareness.
4. National Commission for Protection Child Rights (NCPCR) a Government of India undertaking has appreciated CRISP for educating the society and legal fraternity on the significance of Shared Parenting
5. Launched website: www.crisp-india.org where 1000s of victims have made use of the knowledge and information posted on the web-site and is the first its kind in the country pertaining to child custody matters.
6. Even mothers who have been deprived of child custody are members of CRISP and working for its goals.
7. We are engaging with leading medical professionals to prevent suicides of deprived fathers like SYED MAKHDOOM who unfortunately committed suicide recently.
8. CRISP has made a representation to Chief Justice of India, WCD Ministry and law commission signed by over 500 people requesting shared parenting among others and awaiting suitable action from the concerned authorities and also to adhere to UN's Child's Rights Convention.
9. CRISP has made several press meets on general and specific cases pertaining to children issues and sensitized the society.

Research has also proved that fatherless children are prone to suffer from suicidal tendencies, running away from the house, drop out from school, abuse drugs, end up in prison, teenage pregnancies, and end up as anti-social elements. We don't want our children who are the assets of our nation to be exposed to such an atmosphere. India is known for our Family Value System and we need to preserve our heritage and greatness.

Father's guidance on monitoring cannot be substituted by anybody in this world. After all "One Father is better than hundred teachers!" Joint custody is the BEST SOLUTION in the modern society since the divorce rates are as high as 40% of marriages especially in educated cosmopolitan people.

Under these circumstances, we humbly request out media friends to bring it to the notice of all our citizens and help us to take up this cause for a better tomorrow fro our children and highlight these issues so that the society is sensitized of the matter.

Thanking You,
Kumar V Jahgirdar
President CRISP, 98452 64488