Beware of fake pleas for adoption of Covid orphans: Activists

LUCKNOW: Social media posts appealing for adoption of kids orphaned during the pandemic may be part of nefarious designs of child trafficking gangs that generally get activated during such situations, warned UP police officials and child rights activists.

They said multiple messages have been doing the rounds on social media platforms, portraying tragic stories of infants left abandoned after the death of their parents.

One such message alerted a group of child activists in Lucknow. The message read: “If anyone wishes to adopt a girl, please feel free to contact. One girl is 3 days old and another is six months old, and they have lost their parents recently due to Covid. Please help these kids get a new life.”

Sangeeta Sharma, a child rights activist and a member of Child Line, said such messages are in circulation and asked her peers to report such things to Child Line.

“I called up one of the contact numbers mentioned in one of the similar messages and found that a man on the other end assured to provide a child for adoption without verifying her identity,” she said.

Sharma reported the matter to the Lucknow police and requested cops to trace the person possibly involved in child trafficking and illegal child adoption.

Lucknow commissioner of police DK Thakur confirmed that the police had begun an inquiry about people behind circulation of such messages after being alerted by Child Line activists. He said a team had been deployed for this purpose.

Sharma stated that many orphaned children are at risk of falling prey to human traffickers or illegal adoption rackets.

The state’s department of women and child development has also taken cognizance of such messages and has written

to all district magistrates across UP to prepare a list of children below 18 years of age who have lost their parents to Covid, said a senior government official.

He said the list has to be submitted by May 15 to director (women welfare) and the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to facilitate immediate

assistance.

“There are instances when children have lost their parents to the deadly virus, making them vulnerable to human traffickers. A similar thing happened during the Nepal earthquake when a large number of such gangs became active. I think strict government intervention is required to keep such gangs at bay,” said Ajit Kushwaha, another child rights activist.

Another child rights activist, Sumar Rawat, too called for government intervention, saying there is a dire need of a system to keep a check on illegal adoptions.

“Messages facilitating illegal adoptions are doing rounds on social media. Such messages are a part of the design. I think the government should order probe into the matter,” said Rawat.

She said the government should form dedicated ‘samitis’ to keep an eye on such activities or they can assign the task to existing the ‘nigrani samitis’.

In wake of such incidents, the UP government has decided to lend a helping hand to the affected children, said Manoj Rai, director, department of women and child development.

He asked officials to contact Covid hospitals for details of orphaned children and provide their information to child welfare committees.