Adoption row: Dalits protest against injustice in Mysore

 

Mysore: Guardians of eight year old Ullas and seven year old Anand, who  are all set to be given up for adoption to an Italian couple without their consent, protested in front of the Gandhi statue near the court here on Friday joined by  hundreds of Dalit activists and several relatives. 

 

Asked why they were against the children being adopted, when they seemed willing to go, their uncle Nataraj said, “We may be poor, but we are not heartless enough to let go of our sister’s children altogether. Adoption would end our relationship with them and  we don’t want that to happen. The children themselves are too small to judge the situation.”  

 

Claiming  they had met a child placed in the custody of the Child Welfare Committee, Mysore,  who was  adopted by a couple in Mandya, but did not like staying with them, he said,   “Luckily the girl was in Mandya  and so could come back. We are seeing so much of  injustice taking place right before our eyes. Why should we then send our children to Italy?"  

 

The  protestors urged the Mysore district administration and the CWC, Mysore in a memorandum to immediately remove the children from the care of the Vatsalya Charitable Trust in Bengaluru, and put them in a good institution in Mysore in accordance with former Mysore Deputy Commissioner,  Manivannan’s order in 2008. 

 

“We would like to see the children remain safe and well till they complete 18 years of age,”  they pleaded. 

 

Anand and Ullas were orphaned five years ago after their mother was gangraped and murdered and their father committed suicide. The two were put in care of a home  in Mysore by CWC  but were later shifted to the VCT without their guardian’s knowledge. —S.P.