Covid orphans decline adoption offers in HP, find support in relatives

Of the 15 children orphaned due to the pandemic in Himachal, five are from Mandi district, four from Una, three from Hamirpur, two from Kangra and one from Solan district

At 16, he knows life is not going to be easy for his nine-year-old sister and him. Their world came crashing down in May when they lost their parents within a span of a few days to Covid-19 in Jogindernagar sub division of Mandi district as the second wave of the pandemic peaked in Himachal Pradesh.

Children have faced the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly during the lethal second wave. (Representative photo)

Of the 15 children orphaned due to the pandemic in the hill state, five are from Mandi district, four from Una, three from Hamirpur, two from Kangra and one from Solan district.

Taking on responsibility one day at a time

“I know there will be a lot of responsibility. A thousand thoughts come to mind, but I’ve decided to focus on my studies,” says the teenager, who is still recuperating from the coronavirus infection along with his sister.

At present, the brother and sister live with their 65-year-old paternal grandmother.

The siblings flatly reject the idea of undergoing adoption. “No, I would not consider that. My sister is very young, but she understands. Our parents have left a house for us. We will stay with our maternal uncle eventually. He comes to visit us regularly,” he says.

Jogindernagar sub-divisional magistrate Amit Mehra, who recently visited the family, said the children will be provided all benefits under government schemes. “People of their village have also been helping them and we have been getting a lot of calls for adoping the girl, but a decision will be taken after consulting the family once the children are back to the best of their health,” Mehra said.

Counselling and regular touch for siblings

Another pair of siblings from Fatehpur sub division in Kangra district lost their parents to Covid-19 within a week. The mother of the 15-year-old boy and his seven-year-old sister died on April 29 in Ludhiana, where they lived, and the father succumbed to Covid complications at home on May 5.

Kangra district programme officer, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Ranjeet Singh said the children are living with their paternal uncle at present. “They are in shock. We are in regular touch with their extended family and the counselling of the children is still on,” he said.

Singh said the girl has been enrolled in a local school in Class 2 and her brother will be admitted in Class 11. The government is considering to enroll them in a Navodaya Vidyalaya, a government boarding school.

Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said the siblings have been registered for government schemes and will be extended benefits of the foster care programme.

Their 22-year-old cousin said the children would continue living with relatives. “We will not give them up in adoption. They are family and will live with us,” she said.

State govt schemes for security of kids

Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said his government was committed to ensuring the welfare of such children and has initiated schemes for their security. Under the CM’s Bal Seva Yojana, they will be provided ₹3,500 a month each of which ₹2,000 will be given by the Centre and ₹1,500 by the state government.

The government will give priority to such children in childcare centres provided they are willing. They will be given admission in Navodaya Vidyalayas, Sainik and Central Schools.

He said that orphan girls will be given priority in admission in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas. He said that the state government will provide ₹51,000 to orphan girls under the Mukhyamantri Kanyadaan Yojana.