INDIA 360 | ABANDONED BABIES
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Why so many babies abandoned in India?
Published on Thu, May 03, 2007 at 03:15, Updated on Wed, Jun 20, 2007 at 10:15 in 
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Hope floats for two babies cast away by their biological parents. One is now in a millionaire family’s bundle of joy and hospitals have offered to treat the other little one, born with an ailment. But it’s not always a happy ending.
The story of the six-week old nameless baby abandoned by his parents in a Gurgaon hospital has taken a turn for the better. The father of the baby with a congenital defect is back to claim him, says they could not afford his treatment. Meanwhile, doctors at Delhi’s Apollo and Fortis Hospital have offered free treatment for the infant.
The other abandoned child, two-a-half-month old Shiv is truly a destiny’s child. His parents left him in a rail compartment in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, but he is now part of a loving family. The Ahujas without any heir to their family name and fortune have adopted Shiv.
But it is not always a fairy tale ending like Shiv. There are hundreds of children left in the lurch every year. So, what's the fate of abandoned babies in India?
On CNN-IBN’s show India 360, Coordinating Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency (CVARA) Chairperson Dr Vinita Bhargava and Lawyer Rajiv Bahl came together with host Smita Nair to argue –
Why are so many babies abandoned in India?
It’s not a problem that unique to India. Abandonment of children happens all over the world. Reasons are different – an unwed mother fearing social stigma abandons her child; couples not wanting girl child abandon their child.
Expensive pediatric treatment
In case of the six-week old child with congenial defect, his father says he could not afford the treatment of the disease. Is it not telling on the healthcare system of the country?
“Absolutely,” said Bhargava. She also indicated that it is not only healthcare, but also it is telling on many other things, like social support to families, attitude towards female children, attitude towards stigma of an unwed mother. So, the reason for abandonment are many. Only laws can’t stop all such crimes and instead of just looking at the tip of the problems, “it’s very-very deep and that is where we have to reach”.
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