The Hindu : Front Page : Arrival of babies on the rise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 15, 2005

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Front Page

Arrival of babies on the rise

S. Prasad

IN SAFE HANDS: Newborns at the Cradle Baby Centre in Dharmapuri. — Photo: N. Bashkaran

DHARMAPURI: When parents refuse to bring up their children, the Cradle Baby Centre at the Dharmapuri Government Hospital provides warmth by ensuring a healthy environment and love in the upbringing of these abandoned children. The Cradle Baby Centre, since its inception on April 13, 2002, has received 611 children out of which 585 are girls.

According to sources in the Department of Social Welfare, "Dharmapuri has registered a high arrival of babies to the centre in a short period when compared with the centres in Salem, Madurai, Theni and Dindigul districts."According to a social activist, the failure on the part of the district administration to counsel the parents to go in for family planning and take back the child has been the main reason for increase in arrival of babies to the centre.

When parents are compelled to take back the child, they say that they had brought the child fearing police case or else, they would have preferred to abandon or kill it," sources in the Department of Social Welfare say.

The district administration must create awareness among the villagers on the need to protect and bring up girl child. Strict enforcement mechanisms and counselling sessions alone would reduce the arrival of babies to the centre, a social worker says.

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