Child `adoption' racket resurfaces in Andhra

Child `adoption' racket resurfaces in Andhra
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

HYDERABAD, SEPT 21: The child ``adoption'' racket which had surfaced in Andhra Pradesh last year seems to be back. The ``distress sale'' of girl children by parents in poverty-stricken rural areas continues and some non-governmental organisations are allegedly involved in it.

A city-based NGO, Action for Social Development (ASD), which had acquired notoriety last year for ``exporting'' children to foreign countries in the name of adoptions, is reportedly continuing the practice.

Last year, N. Sanjeeva Rao of ASD and Peter Subbaiah, another person from Chittoor district involved in the ``adoption'' racket, were arrested by the police and remanded to judicial custody for over two months.

About 200 children below five, who were being tended in homes run by the two, were handed over the to the state Women Development and Child Welfare Department. They were initially kept in a government-run home but as many as 10 children died, allegedly due to lack of proper care. The government later entrusted the responsibility of looking after the children to an NGO involved in child welfare.

These days, ASD's home in Gandhinagar is buzzing with activity. Photos of several babies are on display on the office notice board. However, Sanjeeva Rao was not available for comments.

According to information available with The Indian Express, ASD is reportedly back in business. For example, Neenawat Swati, born on May 28 this year, was given away to ASD in July. The parents hail from Kanugubhayya Thanda in Mahaboobnagar district.

The declaration of the parents -- Laxman and Bujji -- on stamp paper reads, ``I am a labourer and earn a meagre amount. I have four daughters and a son and my wife looks after children at home. Under these circumstances, we have decided to hand over our last daughter, Swati, born on May 28, 2000, to anyone for adoption.

``Today, I came to Hyderabad, met the staff of Action for Aocial Development and told them about my decision to hand over our daughter to them. They counselled us that we will be losing the total rights on the child after 60 days of signing this declaration. They also told us that the child will be given for adoption within the country or abroad. Today, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, we are handing over Swati to the above organisation on our own will without any force or any desire for money.''

Likewise Savita, a three-month-old female baby, was brought from Mysigundi thanda in Amangal mandal of Mahboobnagar district. ASD also brought three month old Lakshmi from Goleelapeta near Kakinada in East Godavari district recently. According to sources, presently about 35 children are in the home run by Rao reportedly waiting for ``adoptions''.

Almost all of them are girl children. ``No one offers a boy for adoption,'' said an employee of the organisation.

Says Andhra Pradesh Women Development and Child Welfare Board chairperson Tripurana Venkatratnam, ``Most of the adoptions are shady deals. We have been demanding for a proper mechanism to monitor the children who were given on adoption.''

Under the present provisions of the Adoption Act in Andhra Pradesh, it is not mandatory to certify the adoption before a district judge as it is in in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. An agreement on a white paper or a stamp paper is enough for adopting a child.

Women Development and Child Welare Principal Secretary Gayatri Ramachandran ruled out revival of licence to Rao without obtaining clearance from the police. ``He and Subbaiah cannot undertake child adoptions as they have no licence,'' she said.

She also said that her department was planning to take up a programme to sensitise parents in the rural areas from where ``adoption agencies'' are buying children, mostly from Nalgonda and Mahaboobnagar districts. Some economic benefits would be offered to the parents.