Resumo de Adoption In India - Policies And Experiences

Title : Adoption in India ? Policies and Experiences
Author : Vinita Bhargava,
Publisher : Sage Publications India Ltd, B 42, Panchsheel Enclave,
New Delhi 110 017 Rs 350 (US$ 8)

Adoption ? the Indian Experience
Dr George Karimalil

This book aims to highlight the perspectives of an adoptive parent, a researcher and one who has been officially connected with the process of adoption for many years. Well-researched and comprehensive, it gives a clear picture of the scenario of adoption in the Indian context and touches on the lacunae in the field.

The author, the head of the Department of Child Development, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, has been an executive member of the Coordinating Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency (CVARA). The book is divided into two sections. In the first half, she deals with macro-level issues and in the second focuses on the individual experiences of parents and the way in which adopted children view themselves and the world around them.

The author says the paucity of expertise rooted in Indian paradigms of family life leaves many parents very lonely in the task of bringing up an adopted child. She traces the attitudes and causes that make Indians go in for adoption. Although the practice is quite embedded in the Indian tradition, it is still the last resort of childless couples.

The average age of both parents when they adopt is around 40. There are very few records and many adoptive couples are unwilling to share their thoughts and experiences. Yet the author certainly scores by getting people to talk in a country where there is great pressure on women to bear a child and the issue of adoption has familial, religious and social connotations as well. The best parts of the book are the personal narratives that shed light on the subject.

Interestingly the author finds that couples who have had less conventional marriages are more willing to talk than those who have gone in for arranged marriages. Prejudices regarding caste, religion, and class come into play in the subject of adoption.

Aspiring parents who wish to adopt from outside the extended family generally not only prefer a healthy child but are also influenced in their choice by the colour of the skin and the features.

Although there is now an increasing demand for girls, there is still a strong gender bias ? of the total number of boys legally free for adoption in India during 2001-2004, 79 per cent were adopted in the country while only 51 per cent of the legally free girls found homes in the country.

Also agencies are biased in favour of families which are well off. She gives a brief account of the rules and procedures regarding adoption in India where there is no uniform code for it. Non-Hindus cannot legally adopt a child. The subject of inter-country adoption has always raised a great deal of debate in terms of ethical issues as well as the child?s ability to adapt.

The author feels CAVARA needs to be more proactive in increasing in-country adoption. Social advertising must be taken up to promote the concept in small towns and rural areas. She gives the break-up of the figures in numerous states obtained from the demographic profile of adoptions compiled by the Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW), New Delhi.

Adoption in Indian is generally parent centric. Counselling for parents is also minimal. There is need for more parent support groups and adoptee networks. She also covers the topic of disclosure ? when and how should a child be told that he or she is adopted and what are the reactions in individual cases? What emerges is the author as a researcher rather than as a parent ? the emotional value addition of a parent?s experience is not in evidence. This is a useful book for all those interested in this sensitive subject with descriptions of laws and guidelines being included.

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