Your “Kid”ding right?

Well, anyone who knows me in person , knows that I am either suffering through a migraine or in the process of getting one.. So with two coworkers off on vacation the last two weeks, I have been coupled with overwork and migraines.. related you say… I think so too! . I am back to the blogging circuit,.hopefully this time , I can post periodically and read my favorites blogs better.

Two articles really caught my eye, during the last week and funnily enough they related to the Indian laws and babies. Not really subjects that you would want to connect in any circumstance.

The first was the case of Mehta abortion case. The basic question is does a woman have rights to terminate a fetus which is 25 weeks and has a congenital heart defect (CHD).The middle class parents would need to put the child on a pacemaker from birth and bear the costs of the hospitals throughout its life, the Indian courts determined that as the child might have a fair chance of living a normal life, the case was dismissed. Between the public hoopla on the rights of woman and the fetus and some religious associations willing to adopt the child once born, the human emotion was disregarded.

Did anyone even consider what Nikita Mehta was going through? The first child is something born out of the hopes and dreams. (Being a second born, I know I’m loved too :) ! ) . The news about the child having CHD and then the decision to terminate the pregnancy must be a painful and heart wrenching decision. Even with all the support pouring in, this mother might have to see their child grow up on painkillers, medicines and therapy. The Mehta’s could have taken the illegal route and got a “family physician” to terminate the pregnancy, but through a legal route, they have suffered more pain and accusations for what they considered was the right thing to do. I am also tired of the media, trying to pull as much coverage out of this on the woman’s rights issues. Whatever each of our thoughts are, on legal abortion , the final decision and its repercussions rests with the parents. This would be just a passing article and a discussion point over tea for the rest of us, but those parents, it involves a step which would now continue to haunt them the rest of their lives. So the next time media and the law decides purely on a statistical basis , what is right or wrong morally or legally, the emotional content needs to be first examined. The mother has made a decision regarding her child, shouldn’t that count before the “Powers” of legality and morality step in

As for the second news article, I found it surprising and very depressing. Along with the growing Call centers in India, we have also become the hub for surrogate mothers . A Japanese baby born to a surrogate Indian mother and a Japanese couple , is now India’s first surrogate orphan, after the Japanese couple split before she was born. Now Maji, cannot be adopted by her father Ikufumi Yamada , a well known surgeon, because Indian laws prohibit infant girls being adopted by single man. I understand these laws are to protect young children from perverts , but considering that her grandmother and father are trying to move every stone to get to this child ,it would be a prudent decision to hand her over to the people who love her than into a orphanage with thousand other children waiting to be adopted. Its sad, that when Indian government is trying to reach out to the world, asking them to adopt children from our country, that bureaucracy seems to be our stumbling block. A child with a chance at a happy and normal childhood, is being kept in a hospital in Rajasthan to follow the law, other children on the streets of major metros who need protections from the scum of the city are allowed to roam and beg free in the streets.
Considering law is built around common sense and betterment of the society, isn’t it time for a change?. When do our lawmakers actually sit up and say this system has to be revamped . Atleast let them start with the mothers and children, who are the most vulnerable to their laws and its fallacies.

For the smile

It was the first day of school and a new student named Chandrasekhar Subrahmanyam entered the fourth grade. The teacher said, “Let’s begin by reviewing some American History.
Who said “Give me Liberty, or give me Death”? She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrashekhar, who had his hand up: “Patrick Henry, 1775″ he said.“Very good!”

Who said “Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish from the Earth?” Again, no response except from Chandrashekhar. “Abraham Lincoln, 1863″ said Chandrashekhar.

The teacher snapped at the class, “Class, you should be ashamed. Chandrashekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than you do.”

She heard a loud whisper: “F**k the Indians, Who said that?” she demanded. Chandrasekhar put his hand up.. “General Custer, 1862.”

At that point, a student in the back said, “I’m gonna puke.”The teacher glares around and asks “All right! Now, who said that?”Again, Chandrasekhar says, “George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.”

Now furious, another student yells, “Oh yeah? S*ck this!”Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher, ” Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!”

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said “You little shit. If you say anything else, I’ll kill you.”Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice, “Gary Condit to Chandra Levy, 2001.”

The teacher fainted. And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, “Oh shit, we’re f**ked!”And Chandrasekhar said quietly, “George Bush, Iraq, 2005

Keep smiling
Anu