13-Jul-2013
JAIPUR : An uncertain future awaits a 10-day-old girl lying in a government
hospital in Udaipur. Her mentally-challenged mother died while giving birth to
her on a roadside as the ambulance didn't arrive on time when she was in
labour. The baby's only relative - her maternal grandmother - has refused to
take her into custody saying she can't afford to keep her. As the grandmother
has also not given her consent, government officials have not been able to
initiate process of the baby's adoption and are in a fix about her future.
Bhagawat Singh, a member of the child welfare committee in Udaipur, said the
new-born presents a daunting tale of poverty. "Her 35-year-old mother Meera was
a mentally challenged woman. She used to roam around and have food at temples,"
Singh said.
He highlighted that Meera's mother live in a slum area in the city, h
owever she did not stay with her.
"She would sleep on pavements. It seems someone exploited her situation and
raped her. She got pregnant. Some passers-by heard the woman screaming near
Gangaur Ghat about 10 days ago. They soon realised that the woman was in
labour. They called for ambulance, however, by the time it arrived, she had
given birth to the baby. Due to excessive bleeding, she had died," the officer
said.
A police officer who is investigating the case said according to the people
trying to help the woman, the ambulance didn't arrive even half-an-hour after
being informed.
Singh said Meera was admitted to the hospital. The woman's mother was so poor
that she could not afford the final rites of the body. "A social organization
collected money and consigned Meera's body to flames," the officer said.
Police said it was yet to be ascertained whether Meena got pregnant after being
raped on the pavements.
Singh,
however, said, "In most cases of mentally challenged women getting pregnant,
it comes up that someone took advantage of their situation and raped them.
These women don't even realise that they are pregnant."
He further said the baby's grandmother did not accept the child. "She says she
can't afford to keep the child. Besides, she is yet to give us her consent to
initiate the process for the baby's adoption," Singh added.
Another 8 kids share same fate
Jaipur: Uncertainty also prevails over the future of at least eight children -
aged below one year - who were born of mentally-challenged women with no family
in Udaipur. As the mothers of these children are mentally challenged, they
cannot legally surrender their children to the child welfare committee (CWC)
for adoption process. They also can not keep the babies with them due to their
mental state. Officials said even if these women give their consent, it is not
legally va
lid.
"This loophole in the Juvenile Justice Act has cast a shadow over these eight
children. There are several such children in the state for whom adoption
process could not be started," said Bhagawat Singh, a member of the child
welfare committee in Udaipur.
Singh added that these eight children all below one year of age are in various
child shelter homes.
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