Insulted, tortured & cheated, says Anupama, the young mother fighting for her son

Anupama S Chandran was a former worker of the Students' Federation of India, the students arm of the ruling CPM. Yet, she has been forced to hit the streets in protest to get back her child, allegedly taken away from her by her parents three days after his birth and given up for adoption.

"My father says the child was abandoned considering my – his daughter's – future, since I am an unwed mother. His argument is that it was done for my future. My argument is also the same: ain't I fighting for my son," Anupama, who staged a protest in front of the Secretariat with her partner Ajith Kumar asked.

Excerpts from an interview with Anupama:

You were a worker of the ruling party's students and youth wings. Still you have to hit the streets against the government machinery?

My father P S Jayachandran is a local leader and a local committee member of the party. The party gave him priority due to his political influence, resulting in me losing the child. I knocked at several doors, but none opened. When I had lost trust in the party, I had no alternative other than hitting the streets.

Women and Child Welfare Minister Veena George has contacted you. Do you trust her?

She opened the conversation saying "I am a mother too," and promised to stand by me in my efforts to get my baby back. She also informed me that a department-level probe has been initiated against the accused employed with the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare. I am trusting her in this juncture. Before the minister, CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat was the only one who brought some relief. Though she tried to intervene, she did not get the support of the leaders here.

The incident has become a controversy. Besides the pain of a mother who had lost her child, your affair with a married man and its morality, too, have been debated?

My grandfather Peroorkada Sadasivan was a CPM state committee member and CITU leader, and my father Jayachandran is a local committee member. I was the joint secretary of SFI's Peroorkada area committee and a member of DYFI's zonal committee. I met Ajith Kumar, who was DYFI's zonal committee secretary, during political work and we fell in love. Meanwhile, I became pregnant. It is true that he was married when I became pregnant. That doesn't mean others can decide that I have no rights over my baby as a mother. Ajith is now divorced and is supporting me in my fight to get my baby back.

Who are all responsible for you losing the child?

All were involved in the conspiracy. Attempts were made to terminate the pregnancy – after my family came to know that I was pregnant – citing foetal undergrowth. Though I was down with COVID-19 and helpless, they did not succeed in their attempts. While returning home after delivery, they took away the baby, saying he would be returned after my elder sister's marriage. I waited to be reunited with my baby. But they cheated me and handed over the child to the Child Welfare Council. They made fake documents after threatening me.

The Council was in my parents' side. They received the child knowing well that his parents are alive, and expedited the adoption process. Ajith contacted Council secretary S Shijukhan several times, but he refused to clear answers. They did not even respond to an RTI application. When a DNA test was conducted on a baby with the Council, the authorities there knew that my child had been handed over to his adoptive parents four days ago. The Child Welfare Committee, too, has a role. I had submitted a complaint to the Committee through video conferencing in April. Yet, the adoption panel of which the Committee is a member, handed over the child despite his biological mother being alive. What child welfare are they implementing?

The CPM now says that the party's stand is that the child should be reunited with you?

This is the party that ousted me when I left my house with Ajith to get my child back. I was a member of Peroorkada A Branch, and the party cited failure to pay levy as the reason to oust me from the organisation. It was just a justification they found to drop me. My first complaint to the party was lodged with district secretary Anavoor Nagappan. He was very rude to me. I later approached Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, A Vijayaraghavan, P K Sreemathy, P Sathidevi, Soosan Kodi (Chairperson, Social Welfare Board)... I knocked at all possible doors. The party now says its stand is that I should get my child. Why didn't the party take such a stance earlier when I had gone to them? If they had extended the support they are offering after the issue has become a controversy, my child would have been in my arms now.

I have never said that I don't want the child. I was cheated into giving a written statement saying I am abandoning him. His adoptive parents will understand my plight. They received the child merely two months ago. I had him in my womb for nine months despite suffering all the insults. I decided to go for C-Section to ensure that he is safe since I was then down with COVID. I suffered a lot, physically and mentally, just to see him.

I want him back. And those who took him away from me should be punished.