After her ministry directed the state governments to ensure that child care institutions all over the country are immediately inspected, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said she expects everyone to cooperate and help her ministry in identifying unregistered institutions.
Said Maneka to THE WEEK, “The deadline for it was December. As many as 7,800 institutions were registered till December under the Central Adoption Research Authority. Close to 1,400 are yet to be registered. We are taking it up seriously and hope to get all institutions registered soon.”
Last week, a nun, Sister Concelia, and a worker, Anima Indwar, belonging to the Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi, Jharkhand, were arrested for allegedly selling a baby for Rs 1.25 lakh.
There were similar allegations against Missionaries of Charity even earlier.
According to Section 66 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015, it is mandatory that all childcare institutions are registered and linked to CARA. The CARA is a nodal agency under the ministry of women and child development for regulating adoptions.
Said Madhu Koda, MP and former chief minister of Jharkhand, to THE WEEK, “I have nothing personal against Missionaries of Charity. But, there are frequent complaints against the institution. What has happened in Ranchi should not have happened. Law is same for all. I am glad the Central government is taking necessary action to prevent illegal sale of children after this incident. Everyone needs to cooperate.”
In 2016, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to frame effective regulations for making adoptions foolproof and transparent. Said a bench headed by former chief justice T.S. Thakur, “We hope and trust the authorities concerned will take speedy steps. Children are to be protected against abuse and trafficking. The beneficial legislation [Act of 2015] may be made more effective to provide succour to children who may be adopted by framing necessary rules and regulations.”
In December 2017, the apex court ordered mandatory registration of all childcare institutions and bringing them under CARA.
With its headquarters in Kolkata, the Missionaries of Charity, founded by 1946 by Mother Teresa, runs several institutions across the country.
According to unconfirmed reports, over 1 lakh children are reported missing every year in the country.
Said Sister Lucy Grace of the Kochi branch of the Missionaries of Charity to THE WEEK, “The incident in Ranchi should not have happened. I got to know about it from the newspapers. In this case, the nun was not responsible. The nun was supposed to take the baby to the local CWC [Child Welfare Committee]. But as she was busy, the worker [Indwar] and the unwed mother took the baby from the centre and sold it.”
Indwar, who was summoned by the CWC later, admitted that the child was not surrendered to the CWC. The CWC handed over Indwar to the police.
The superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Prema, said they were fully cooperating with the police and are “deeply saddened and grieved” by the incident that happened in Ranchi. She said, “We desire to express in unequivocal terms our condemnation of individual actions which have nothing to do with the congregation of the Missionaries of Charity.”
Said Wansuk Syiem, Rajya Sabha MP of the Congress from Meghalaya, to THE WEEK, “Sale of babies illegally is condemnable. But people should not be misled. I am not aware of what actually happened in Ranchi, and who actually is at fault. So, it will not be proper on my part to comment on it now.”