Thiruvananthapuram: As the nation celebrates Children’s Day, young mother Anupama S Chandran is engaged in a stir in heavy rain outside the office of the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare at Thycaud here seeking the possession of her child which was allegedly taken away without consent from her immediately after birth.
In a shocking development, the police refused permission to Anupama even to fix a tarpaulin sheet to protect her from the inclement weather. Considering the heavy rain, Anupama is wearing a raincoat and often seeks shelter in a vehicle parked nearby. Behind her is a flex board displaying the photos of the chief minister, other ministers and officials including Child Welfare Council general secretary J S Shiju Khan, who is facing allegations related to the adoption of Anupama’s baby, put up in connection with Children’s Day.
The stir has not attracted much popular support, except for the presence of Ajith Kumar, the child’s father. However, Anupama is firm in her resolve. “Maybe I committed some mistakes. But who can take away the rights of my child to live with its mother?” she asks.
According to Anupama, she had seen her baby only during delivery. Her parents took the newborn away promising to take care of it, she says. “However, I was kept virtually captive at home by my parents and my baby was illegally given away for adoption utilizing the political influence of the ruling party, the CPM,” alleges Anupama.
She is now demanding the return of her baby and the ouster of Shiju Khan and Child Welfare Committee chairperson Sunanda from their posts. Incidentally, even though the state government and the CPM had earlier announced that they would support Anupama, there has been no follow-up.
