New born babies are being left unattended on the wayside, dumped in cesspits, abandoned in bushes and thrown into unused wells. The frequency of such incidents have been increasing in recent times. Those who are fortunate enough to be rescued are entrusted to hospitals. These infants, when they are adults will have a stigma attached to them because they do not know who their parents were. Legally punishing the mother adds further insult to injury. The unfortunate mothers are often very young unsophisticated girls mostly from rural areas. Society has a responsibility to assist such unfortunate mothers and explore possibilities of providing legal protection to them so that the child and the mother will not encounter embarrassing situations in their locality in the future.The necessary legislation should be passed where such expectant mothers can, with or without the knowledge of their parents inform a doctor in charge of a government hospital to maintain a secret record in addition to providing the necessary medical care to the extent of even keeping her in the hospital premises to allow a legal birth in the hospital. Sometimes the name of the father may not be divulged and this should be legally accepted. If the mother cannot take care of the child and does not desire her identity to be known, the law should provide the doctor in charge of the hospital the authority to hand over the baby to a recognized institution to live a decent life with pride.
There are families without children requiring babies for legal adoption and there are foreigners keen on adopting babies irrespective of nationality.
Several babies adopted in foreign countries have re-visited their country of birth to meet the mothers who gave birth to them. Some religious dignitaries may object to these suggestions but the child who was unaware at birth of his antecedents and being not guilty of an offence should be able to live without any stigma. The Island reported that Miss India and Miss Universe Sushmita Sen of India had adopted an orphaned child and calls herself a 'single mum'. And now Sri Lankan beauty queen and Bollywood actress Jaqueline Fernandez [ Island 20.12.10.] had told the Indian media that like Sen, she would like to be a single mother. Thus, there is an opportunity to provide legal protection to babies born in unanticipated situations. But unless the President gives directions, the relevant authorities will not take the initiative to canvas opinion and take necessary action.
Courtesy - The Island - Kasi Silva
