Caught in the middle

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Caught in the middle

 

 

 

IN THE U.S., Angelique and Daniel Hatch decided to adopt a child, definitely `one from India'. In the area in which they lived, Minnesota, there were many children from the subcontinent, living their lives as Americans. This was enough to convince the Hatchs to apply to a local adoption placement agency to find them a child from India.

 

Following this up, the agency contacted Precious Moments, in Hyderabad, which sent the picture of four-month-old Zuleika to them. That seemed to be a dream come true for the couple, who decided to go ahead and adopt the child officially born on March 15, 2000. Papers were sent back and forth and a fee paid for home study reports and other legal requirements. After the mandatory period was over, the Hatchs believed they would become the parents of the baby. Little did they realise what was in store.

 

The family court cleared the decks for the American couple to adopt Zuleika and take her to the U.S. on December 5, 2001. The Guild of Service, which had a CARA licence then and had issued an `abandonment certificate' for the baby, issued an NoC on December 12, once again, facilitating the adoption of the child.

 

The State Government, in the family court, consented to let the Hatchs adopt Zuleika, satisfied with the Home Study report. However, subsequently, it was decided not to allow this adoption, following scrutiny by a three-member committee that averred that the adoptive mother was suffering from "Crohn's Disease" and therefore would not be able to take care of the child.

 

The Department of Women's Development and Children's Welfare filed an appeal in the High Court asking it to stay the family court verdict of December 5. In their arguments, the couple's attorneys brought in a report from the University of Minnesota, where Angelique Hatch had received treatment for her condition. The letter gave her a clean bill of health and added that her "mild digestive disorder was not life threatening".

 

The judge accepted that the couple was indeed fit to adopt the child and thereby dismissed the Department's appeal. The order was pronounced on February 11, this year. The Hatchs, however, are still running from pillar to post to take home the baby, presently housed in Sishu Vihar.

 

``We admit that there were some scandals and babies were bought and sold, but how can we be responsible for that,'' asks Angeline Hatch.

 

Meanwhile, Zuleika is approaching her second birthday.

 

 

Ramya Kannan