As India battles a frenzied second wave, cases of children losing their parents to Covid-19 are also on the rise. While some have lost their parents and have no one to look after them, others find themselves in a situation where a surviving parent is unable to take care of them financially and psychologically.
In Calcutta, a newborn baby recently lost both its parents and grandparents to the virus. The baby also tested positive for Covid-19, but survived. According to reports, the baby’s relatives were reluctant to take care of her. Eventually, the little girl’s maternal grandparents, who live in another town, took control.
“A newborn has lost both its parents and its paternal grandparents to Covid. The baby was positive too, but survived. Her mother’s grandparents reluctantly took her away after the police insisted. Stories of Covid orphans will haunt us very much, ”said Anuradha Sharma, a West Bengal-based journalist.
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Sharma said relatives’ reluctance to care for these children may be temporary, but it reflects “the fragile state of mind we are all in right now.”
In Karnataka, activists on Saturday reported two cases of children who had lost their parents being left without support.
In another case, Delhi police rescued two siblings who allegedly planned to end their lives after their parents died of Covid-19 last week. In many of these cases, relatives are the first remedy. But if this option is not feasible, the state machine must intervene.
Protsahan, an NGO that works in around 50 slums in the Uttam Nagar area of Delhi, said it had seen very difficult cases in the recent past.
“There are many cases in which both parents have died. What is important today is an institutional response to such cases. People are asking for adoption, but an adequate legal mechanism must be followed to ensure the future and well-being of these children guarantee.” said Sonal Kapoor, founder and director of the organization.
Several calls for adoption of these children circulated on social media. However, activists warn that such pathways can be detrimental to the well-being of children.
The Delhi Children’s Rights Commission (DCPCR) has urged people not to fall for misinformation when doing the rounds on social media. The commission advised interested families to follow the legal process to initiate adoption.
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“Don’t believe anyone who says they can give you the child for adoption. You lie or are misleading or simply engaged in illegal practices. Turn to your lawyer friends for advice, ”tweeted Anurag Kundu, chairman of the DCPCR.
The Commission has set up a hotline (+ 91-9311551393) to address the needs of children who have lost their parents or whose parents are hospitalized.
Activists said other complicated situations arise as a result of the pandemic. Among the poorer parts of society, the pandemic has affected children in several ways since last year.
“It’s not just this year and this phase of the pandemic. Last year we saw that children are affected in many ways. We found cases of child sexual abuse in slums because they were vulnerable, ”said Kapoor, founder of Protsahan.
A report by the NGO documents at least five incest cases.
“My mother is afraid of leaving her father because she is financially dependent on him. She doesn’t know he’s doing something wrong, ”the report quotes a teenage girl. Her parents, like many others, have lost their source of income due to the pandemic.
In another case documented in the report, the relatives of a minor girl wanted to marry her. “Your mother died of Covid. Now we will marry her soon so that she can be with her husband and not be our responsibility, ”the report quotes the relatives.
The NGO said it was closely following these cases. While stories of misery come from all over the length and breadth of the country, the poorest sections of society are the most vulnerable.
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