Social activists demand repatriation of children stuck in foreign foster care

Activists held a protest in Delhi to demand repatriation of Indian children stuck in foreign foster care. They expressed concern over the treatment of separated parents, citing the death of Priyadarshini Patil. Lawyer Suranya Aiyar criticised the unchecked power of foreign child welfare agencies. Dhara Shah, a mother whose daughter is stuck in German foster care, shared her grief. Activist Avnish Jain blamed cultural differences and accused agencies of using baseless reasons. John Dayal urged the Indian foreign department to establish a dedicated cell to handle such cases.

Social activists held a protest at the Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday, demanding the repatriation of the Indian children stuck in foreign foster care.

They expressed concern over the treatment meted out to Indian parents separated from their children by child welfare agencies.

The protest was prompted by the death of Priyadarshini Patil, who was found dead last week in Karnataka. She was allegedly upset as the Australian authorities separated her from her teenage children two years ago. Lawyer Suranya Aiyar said parents are being prevented from protecting their children and criticised the unchecked power of foreign child welfare agencies. Indian parents abroad often face negative assessments about their parenting, leading to unfair treatment, the lawyer said. Dhara Shah, a mother whose daughter is stuck in a German foster care, shared her grief during the protest, saying, “I understand Priyadarshini’s pain because it’s devastating when someone unjustly takes away your child. We must not let her sacrifice go waste.”

Social activist Avnish Jain highlighted six similar cases where Indian parents fought for the custody of their children. Jain blamed cultural differences and accused the agencies of using baseless reasons to inculpate Indian parents. Activist John Dayal added, “Labelling these issues as cultural differences is merely a polite way to disguise their racism. The Indian foreign department should establish a dedicated cell to devise protocols for handling such unfair cases.”