India vs Indians

For past 2-3 days I was seeing an ad in the Irish TV channels RTE 1and RTE 2. It captured my eye and ears because it was an urge “to hold 24 hr fast for the poor children in INDIA”. And they showed India’s map with TamilNadu and Orissa highlighted. They also showed pictures of poor Indian children.

You can find more about it in here >>>>

http://www.trocairefast.ie/24hr/index.php/site/fast/do_the_fast

Now pls don’t take me in the wrong way. I am only proud and happy to know that Irish people are doing at least that for the poor Indian children. OK now some of you guys will be thinking "once she became an NRI she started praising Ireland/Irish". But honestly the truth lies somewhere in between and I truly FEEL about this.

Did any one see Chandra’s blast? It was about signing an on-line petition against the hell load of red-tape issues that is associated with when an NRI tries to adopt an Indian child. I know very rarely Indians adopt Indian children. In fact in my circle of friends and relatives, I know only 3 families who did that, and who suffers for that, noble deed of them. But that’s not the case with NRIs. (I am excluding Middle East countries, cos those countries won’t allow adoption at all! Correct me, if I am wrong).

NRIs from US and Europe are in a better position to adopt children from India. Financially and socially there isn’t any taboo in those countries against adoption. This is said, cos I have personally witnessed mocking of an adopted child in a family, who lived next door to mine in India.

The present social service schemes in India cannot cover for the huge Indian population, especially the needy children who are left homeless. I don’t blame our government for that cos its so huge!!!

But my question is when an NRI tries to help his home-country in his own way, why crush their spirits with the bureaucracy. I am NOT telling about US/European citizens of Indian origin. I am telling about those NRIs who still have Indian passports/citizenship, but working abroad. Why they are NOT treated as Indians?

I took adoption as an eg: cos that’s where I found the discrimination. I am not an NRI investor, so I don’t know about that. There may be more areas where NRIs face this.

The procedure for an NRI to adopt an Indian child is SAME as when a foreigner (non-Indian citizen) trying to adopt the same. Can you believe that? I didn’t believe that when I found that out! I really couldn’t. An NRI’s Indian Passport seemed to have zero value!!! Ie even with Indian passports I will be considered as Irish, only!!!

(Damn, then why should I say , proud to be Indian?)

This is the 8 step long procedure for that process: http://www.adoptionindia.nic.in/carahome.html

Do you know how many years of prospective parents and children are lost in this long red tape tangle? And above all it is happening to Indians with Indian passports!!! If Indians cannot adopt Indian children, who else will!!!!

Its OK if we cant give home to all home-less children in India. But why try to cut those hands that are willing to help? There are numerous illegal child-trafficking going inside India. And those who want to adopt legally and kept under the doubt of child trafficking. Come on, they have Indian passports, and using that, any kind of back ground information on them is available. Why ? WHY this discrimination to NRIs???

This blog, I wrote for Chandra’s friend who is residing in US (with Indian passport)

She writes:

We have been in the process of adopting our daughter (who
> > will turn 2 years old next month) since 2005 (over 18 months now).
> > We
> > waited a full year for a referral and have been waiting 5 months
> > after accepting the referral for a No-Objection Certificate from
> > CARA (a govt agency in India) because the license of our agency in
> > India expired in November and it is still in the process of being
> > renewed.
> >
> > Please support this petition at http://www.Petition Online.com/
> > RIPANOC/petition .html and forward to your friends.
> >
> > No child should have to live in an institution for a minute longer
> > than is absolutely necessary. And no parents should have to go
> > through the agony that we have lived through in the last few
>months.

If anyone who read this, truly understood my feelings for her as well for any NRI adoptive parents pls sign this online petition. Your contribution may make a difference in a child’s life. Please…

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/RIPANOC/petition.html

Note: Some friends asked me if I wrote this cos I don't have kids(ref: prev blog!). I can answer that certain things touch our mind,very strongly that you feel a shock. But it shouldn't touch everyone like that . Its not my fault nor theirs. Thats how the world works!

note: NRI- Non Residential Indian