~Adopt a Child~

Most of us want to step on the realm of parenthood, be it now or later in life, it’s something most of us want to experience. From an adolescent to a middle aged man, everyone feels that they should out do their parents in providing comfort and care to their kids.

But the basic criterion for providing such care comes from the thought of conceiving one’s own child. Have we ever considered the option of adopting a child or maybe two? Most of us won’t as it’s still a taboo in our society. Dogmatic beliefs have led to ‘conceiving is a matter of social prestige’. May I ask those who believe in it as important, whether conceiving the child is more important or providing him/her with a proper upbringing?

It’s easy to conceive a child; it’s very difficult to provide him/her with the right upbringing. A case in point maybe our rural population. They keep adding to their numbers at nought's pace but what value does it add. All it does is burden the family which is already struggling to make the both ends meet. On top of this, with many to provide for, they cannot do justice to even a single child. How then, does conceiving become more important than providing a good future?

But this phenomenon is not limited to the rural population, a large segment of our urban population also believes in the same. It has become an integral part of our society, which they consider important to protect the society from anti-social elements. The definition of anti-social surprisingly is not like ‘A is A’, it again depends on what it wishes to tag as anti-social. In India, it is even more difficult than other nations for the diversity we exhibit in our culture. 

So, one is easily discouraged to do this noble deed. The questions that the parents who've adopted must face for trying to secure the future of an innocent child can torment any regular couple. Questions about the child's parentage, cast, creed and all such other irrelevant issues become a hassle for such couples. What about those who're single but wish to enjoy the joys which parenthood gives? They're in for a questioning about their marital status.

Sushmita Sen is a brilliant example for this. She may not remain single forever but she has gone ahead and done what others only wish they could. Her undaunted spirit makes her my hero. We all praise an act of charity but when someone is doing something which is even higher we condemn it. Raveena Tandon also tried something on the similar lines.

The reasons stated are that we don’t know the background of the child? How can one say how he or she will turn out to be? If you aren't sure as to how the child will turn out then why not give it a chance. Of the many philosophers we've had, one of the most well known is Aristotle. He too had lost his parents early and was adopted in his childhood and what a gem he turned out to be; someone whose teachings are followed till date.

Now there are benefits of adoption that we haven’t considered. Let us start with some basic ones; with the rapid growth in population and pressure on limited resources does it not make sense to try to provide for those who already exist than those who don’t exist at all. There exists a double advantage in doing this. We are shaping the future of some young mind, making someone productive and self-reliant. Also, we're reducing the burden of charity to such institutions, on our government (to fund such orphanages), on ourselves and the society at large to fund their growth. Only one’s realisation as to what is important: to a conceived child or bestow it a good childhood is important. Is it for the society to tell us whether the child is ours or is it our belief which matters more.

As we are the future, I urge that we ponder over the matter and make a choice which befits our times. Do not be bogged down by society for it creates rules which must be broken for the sake of progress and betterment; do not let cast, creed and such other irrelevant things deter you from doing something that you believe is noble and fulfilling. It is up to us to decide whether we make an orphan's future or condemn it to a life of hopelessness, while we complain as to why kids beg at the traffic lights.

I don’t say don’t conceive, for it may be important to you, what I wish for is that do not condemn those who're willing to take such courageous decisions. To those who fear the society's rebuke, realise that what it says will affect you only if you want it to. If you're sure that you are doing a noble deed then you may well damn it and live peacefully with a clear conscience that you did what you felt was right, not bending to the whims of a society that doesn’t understand its own follies. So folks don’t deter someone from adopting, and if you think you should then ‘Adopt a Child’.