Mysore: The Child Welfare Committee, Mysore, which has been at the centre of a controversy for allowing a Mysore-based children welfare institution to send two children to a Bangalore-based trust for adoption, without the consent of the guardians, on Saturday, told the guardians that it cannot be intervene in the case as it is being argued before courts in Bangalore.
Since the Mysore based children welfare institution sent two children to a Bangalore based trust for adoption, the Child Welfare committee has been facing heat. The CWC which had full knowledge of the transfer said on Saturday that it cannot be involved in the case as it is being argued before courts in Bangalore.
The CWC committee further dismissed an appeal filed by the childrens’ guardians, Neelama, their maternal aunt, and Nataraj, her husband, and directed them to approach the court. In fact, the committee officials have tried misleading the guardians stating that the case was pending before the Juvenile Justice Court in Bangalore, when the issue is before the City Civil and Sessions Court in Bangalore.
The Children were brought to Mysore from Vatsalya Charitable Trust, based in Bangalore on Saturday, but were sent back, despite repeated requests from the guardians. CWC Chairman Venkatesh N.T. claimed that the children did not recognise the guardians, and refused to stay back in Mysore.
As the children could not be kept against their wishes, they were sent back to VCT in Bangalore.“We had asked the guardians to produce documents to prove their guardianship, but they failed to do so,” he said.
Meanwhile, the children’s uncle Nataraj confirmed that the CWC asked them for documents, but did not specify a deadline. “The CWC officials refused to accept the photocopy of our family tree which we produced on Saturday. How can they expect us to do all the paper work in just three days when the court has considered our plight and given a month’s time?
They did not ask for proof of guardianship when we admitted the children to their centre. But why are they insisting on it now? We had given the government, the custody of children so that they can get an education till they are 18 years of age, but not for permanent rehabilitation. They have cheated us,” he claimed.
On an appeal from the guardians, the CWC on Tuesday revised its order of declaring the children, Navollas, 8 and Santhosh 6 (names changed), as legally free for adoption. It had also asked VCT to bring the children to Mysore to allow them to meet their guardians.
Anjali Pawar, a child rights activist from Pune, who is fighting the guardians’ cause, said that the very manner in which the CWC has begun the adoption process is wrong. “Our research has proved that the children sent for adoption are made to believe that a better life lies ahead for them. But children cannot understand these issues. The CWC should have analysed the circumstances and the situation in which the children have reacted before sending them back to Bangalore,” she said.
Arun Dohle, a researcher on inter-country adoptions from Germany, said that he has taken up the Mysore adoption issue with an international organisation. “This is a serious issue. I'll talk to our India programme director to get his take on it. VCT is our partner,” he said.
