There are tens of thousands of orphaned babies in India.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon a documentary on YouTube. Titled ‘The Midwife’s Confession’, it is a harrowing account of a journalist’s extraordinary pursuit of a story for over 30 years — female infanticides in Katihar, an eastern district of Bihar bordering West Bengal. The documentary also features heartwarming stories of children saved by the midwives who were assigned to kill the baby girls by their families. The saved babies were given for adoption thanks to the intervention of a social worker.
The documentary deeply resonated with me because my wife and I have adopted a baby girl from Katihar. After 10 years of wedlock, we decided to register at the CARA website in 2019, the only legal way to adopt in India. There were lots of formalities involved, starting with a home visit by a social worker from the Specialised Adoption Agency to assess our eligibility as prospective adoptive parents.
We had heard that there were tens of thousands of orphaned babies in India. We naively assumed that adoption would be a cakewalk. We started counting the days but the day never came. Then came COVID-19 and the process got further delayed. Finally, in 2023, I received a call from a social worker in Katihar. CARA would give you three chances to choose a baby. We chose the first one offered to us.
Overwhelmed with mixed emotions of happiness, anxiety and hope, we took a connection flight to Bagdogra, the nearest airport to Katihar, via Chennai, from Kerala. There was a 200-km taxi ride from the airport. The next day, we got a chance to meet our princess, who was just five months old then. It was the most beautiful moment in our life — totally worth the long wait. We saw our future unfolding in her beautiful eyes.
It took her only a day to adjust to her new parents. On her first day with us in a hotel room, she was mostly crying. She must have missed her nannies and the home she was growing up in. She was totally petrified during the flight and once we reached home, she was her cheerful best. She soon became the centre of my family’s happiness. Our friends and relatives were overjoyed for us.
Regarding the inordinate delay, one cannot blame the system. While we, as prospective adoptive parents, may be eager to embrace parenthood, the adoption authorities prioritise the child’s well-being. They want to ensure the best possible living conditions for the child, so the prospective parents must undergo a rigorous scrutiny.
Coming back to the documentary, the filmmaker, while shooting in Katihar, gets the news about a baby girl abandoned in the jungle. The documentary follows her story as well. There is an interview with her adoptive parents at the end of the documentary and I was happy seeing her well cared for by her new family. It also dawned on me that female infanticide continues, even 30 years since the journalist started pursuing the story.
My wife and I always dreamed of adopting a baby girl. While it makes me sad thinking about the unlucky little angels in the documentary, I am heartened to see that more baby girls are adopted than boys in India today. More power to you, girls.
rajeshmrajagopalan@gmail.com
Published – November 17, 2024 02:38 am IST