‘There’s no shame in being adopted, is there?’

One-year-old Abhay Wadhwani may be still crawling, but there was no restraining him as he joined the dancers at Vishwabalak Kendra Child Care Centre, Nerul, yesterday. The centre, a part of the Children of the World (India) Trust Bombay (CWB), was celebrating its anniversary at the start of National Adoption Week.
With a roomful of cheerful children and their adoptive parents, could the atmosphere be less joyous? The children put up a vibrant performance even as they were joined on the dance floor by toddlers.“It’s like an extended family gathering,” says Akhtar Ahmad, Executive Director, CWB. “It’s important that adopted children be aware of their roots. There’s no shame in being adopted,” she says. The Centre takes in abandoned babies and rehabilitates destitute mothers. It has a neonatal centre, medical and counselling experts and social workers.
“We’re encouraging Indian parents to adopt,” says Ahmad. And the trend is encouraging. From just two Indian adoptions in 1983, today CWB has had 166 Indian adoptions. Around 1,500 children have been sponsored, with 454 adoptions in total so far. Sunil Ray (name changed) is looking for a daughter. “We already have a son, and we thought adoption would be ideal as many of our friends have done the same,” he says.
Deepak Purohit, who adopted little Simran five years ago, makes his stand clear: “Adoption is not philanthropy. The focus remains on the child.” The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act allows Hindu couples to adopt while others have to opt for the Guardians and Wards Act which makes them legal guardians of the children. “We are looking for a universal law for adoption so that more parents are encouraged to adopt,” says Ahmad. Contradicting popular belief, adoptive parents say they did not face too many legal hurdles.