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Rituja and Tanuj are a lonely couple. They have been married for over eight years now and they desperately want a baby.

They have tried all ways to have one, They’ve tried the latest  technology and they’ve  even gone for religious pilgrimages, but they still haven’t got what they wanted. Like most traditional Indian couples they too did not wish to adopt a baby in the beginning. But Rituja says, “Three years back we were confirmed by medical science that we couldn’t be biological parents in any possible way. It was then we decided to go for adoption. It wasn’t a very easy decision as convincing our families was the most tedious job. But finally all were ready.”

People in India are usually opposed to adoption, but there are thousands of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) spread across the length and breadth of the country which offer adoption services. Many of these are just looking to make fast money.

“We approached more than a dozen NGOs and orphanages. We did not have any gender preference. All we wanted was a healthy baby. Two NGOs charged 15,000  Indian  rupees (around 300 euros) from us with an assurance that they’d give us a baby. However after some months they just denied. We had no proof except our word of mouth,” Rituja says.

Like most businesses, there are touts for adoption too. Srimanti Biswas, an independent social worker who works with child trafficking says, “These days, you will find a NGO in almost every small city or village. They say they are trying to do something good for the general people. While some really are up for it, most behave like touts. They get in touch with women who have been raped or accidentally conceived a baby, or get hold of women who are very poor and need money. And you know how a rape victim is treated in our country. The woman is secretly kept in the NGO and taken care of. When she produces the baby, the NGO takes the responsibility to handover the baby legally, asking for a significant amount of money from the new parents. There is no documentation.”

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It is shocking to know that despite gender determination being a punishable offence in India, many NGOs and adoption agencies charge advance deposits on the basis of the sex of the unborn child. According to CARA (Central Adoption Regulation Authority) an agency can charge a maximum of 30,000 rupees (around 400 euros) , considering all charges incurred on the child.

However, Srimanti says, ” It is an open market now. If you want a baby boy weighing above three kg, deposit four lakh rupees (around 5,000 euros) in advance and five lakh rupees (around 6,000 euros) on delivery. For a baby girl, the sum is almost six lakh rupees (around 7000 euros). These agencies bring home abducted women, rape victims as well as poor women from various parts of the country who are paid to have sex and make babies. A set of doctors who work with them take care of the weight of the unborn baby. Once the baby is born the intended customers are alerted and within a month the legal processes of adoption are taken care of and the baby is handed over.”

And is there a legal check on the couple who intends to adopt a child? Srimanti answers, “Fortunately they do a ground check. But acquaintances and references play a vital role here too. If your case has been referred by a person of authority, you stand first in the queue with minor or no specific background check.”

While a fraction of Indians who have money and really want a child may see this story as a positive one, but paying for a child is treating it as a commodity and exploiting parents who desperately want to have children.

Author: Debarati Mukherjee

Editor: Manasi Gopalakrishnan