`Mamateya Thottilu’ a mission to save abandoned infants

Kundapur: The sweet sound of an infant crying was heard in the early morning of Saturday at Kedoor Spoorthi Dhama. When Dr. Keshav Shetty, the chief executive officer of the organization came to Spoorthi Dhama at 5am in the morning he heard the crying of small child and ran towards it. He was overwhelmed to see a baby boy of around eight months lying in the ‘Mamateya Thottilu’ (cradle of love) installed in the Spoorthi Dhama. The child is now safe in the hands of the staff of child care centre. As this was the first child to be found in the Mamateya Thottilu, it has been promptly named as ‘Pratham’. What is Mamateya thottilu?

Now a days, we often see or hear news about infant children found in dust bins, abandoned in forest regions or thrown into some water sources. These incidents happen as the mothers who gives birth to these children doesn’t want to keep the children with them. There may be many reasons for this cold blooded decision of a mother. But the victims of these cruel deeds are the innocent infants.

Keeping this in mind the woman and children welfare department of the state government introduced the Mamateya Thottilu project. As per this project a cradle has to be kept outside every hospital, adoption centre and nursing center. Those who doesn’t want the infant they gave birth to can put them in this cradle. The adoption centers will hand over these children to desired families. Spoorthi Dhama had installed a cradle two years back and had named it Mamateya Thottilu.

In the beginning this project faced flak from the people. But it is indeed a noble project if we consider the incidents of infant after their parents abandon them in garbage as a prey to the stray dogs or in the thickets. Due to this project every child gets the right to live. No mother will turn into a murderer of her own child.  

By: Yogish Kumbhasi