Anupama S Chandran’s battle against her family to get back her child highlights caste-based discrimination and women’s rights struggles in India
Anupama S Chandran’s emotional battle to reclaim her newborn son began with a powerful, unwavering protest outside the Kerala state secretariat. For days, she refused to eat or drink, holding a placard that simply read, “Give me my baby.” Her son had been taken from her by her parents just days after his birth and placed up for adoption without her consent.
The case has sparked outrage across India, as it sheds light on the harsh realities women face when challenging societal norms, especially regarding caste. Chandran, who was only 19 at the time, had fallen in love with Ajith Kumar, a man from a Dalit caste. Their relationship, which grew out of shared political activism, was met with disapproval from her family. Her parents, unhappy with her choice of partner, took drastic action after the birth of her child, seeking to erase their daughter’s relationship by placing the baby for adoption without informing her.
This heart-wrenching story of a mother’s fight to reclaim her child underscores the ongoing caste-based discrimination that continues to shape lives and decisions in India, as well as the struggles women face when asserting their rights.
