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The Nilima Mehta Chat

She made apparent her concern about the fact that we do not have a secular child-centred adoption law in India and revealed her contributions towards a draft adoption bill, giving rights to children irrespective of religion.

'In her own words -"Adoption is a beautiful way of building families..."

pp (Wed Dec 18 19:37:47 1996 IST):

hello!!

Hi everyone

Hello.. Is Ms mehta in yet?

Welcome to the Rediff Chat. It's wonderful having you with us today. I do hope you enjoy the experience.

Welcome to the Rediff Chat. It's wonderful having you with us today. I do hope you enjoy the experience.

Ms Mehta.. are you a consultant for adoption and do you take work for any adoption agency?

Hi everybody. Looking forward to the next hour with you.

Hullo, Mrs Mehta. Is adoption taking off in India or is there a bias against the phenomenon?

SHATAL: I'm a consultant for adoption and I'm associated with an organization called Family Service Center.

Srdhar: There has been a significant change in terms of attitude towards adoption in the last decade especialy in the urban areas.

Ms Mehta..Are there many people who want to adopt and how do they approach you?

What would you term as significant? Why is then that people are producing so many kids back home? Why don't they adopt kids?

Hi Ms Mehta, I've seen so many children in your country living in abject poverty and neglect....yet why doesn't your govt allow people like us to adopt the little darlings?

Shatal: Yes there are many people who want to adopt and they contact me at the following address Family Service Center, 5 Convent St, B'bay 400039. Most of the couples who approach are childless or want to consider adoption as an option for parenting.

Hi Nilimaji... what do you couples who want to adopt, but their families are not for it?

Can single women adopt waifs in your country?

Mrs Mehta, as a Parsi married to a Hindu, I want to know if I can adopt a child from India. Is the adoption law in your country all encompassing or is there religious bias?

Ms Mehta.. what about couples who are capable of having their own kids, but still want to adopt.. is it allowed? what if the couple are married under the special marriages act?

Caroline: The situation is there are many destitute children who would benefit by being adfopted however they are not legally free for adoption or not irrevoacbly relinquished and hence the legal procedures for adoption become difficult this is really a very upsetting situation because every child has the right to be brought up in a warm nurturing family.

Nilimaji... what do you advise couples who want to adopt, but their families are not for it?

Hi everyone!! Hello Ms Mehta

Does religion really feed,clothe and love a child? Then why this farce about who adopts Hindu kids? If someone is willing to share their home and life with them,why deprive the poor innocents...what are your views on this state of things? Will there be redressal soon?

Astad: There is no uniform adoption law in India . Adoptions are done under the personal laws of differnt religoius communities as a Parsi married to a hindu you have to take a child in gaurdianship under the gaurdians and wards act of 1890. Which means that the child is your legal ward and you are appointed the legal gaurdian with the intention to adopt and complete the legal procedures for adoption in the USA by your state law.

I have a daughter. I want to adopt a child. My parents are against it, advising me of maladjustment. I fear that there may be discrimination. My parents may favour my daughter over the adopted child, especially if he is a boy. What would you advise in such situations?

Caroline: Yes. The law permits a single parent to adopt.

Nilimaji... what do you advise couples who want to adopt, but their families are not for it?

WhenI was out in India some time ago, I met a young couple who had a daughter of their own and did adopt a son. How was that allowed?Both are aetheists.