A few days with a ghost                        

                                   Chapter 15                                                         

                                                                                gratuitous adventure

 

Geetha had made a niche as a social activist. She became popular though not as prominent as Mrs. Medha Patkar.  Her activities started getting attraction both from media and she also earned enough hostility. There was no wonder why her activities were being watched by certain elements . 

In India either there should be a social activist to bringout the evils in the society or there should be intervention of the Court to alert  the administration or legislature and to wake it up from its slumber. Even to protect the waterbodies the Court has to pass direction which happens in other countries  in normal course .  It could be a PIL , Public interest Litigation Petition or a suo moto action by the Court. The day to day administration of the State is even streamlined by the Court by intervening often which is a pathetic state of democracy. 

Criminalisation of politics is frequently used as a catch word by all political parties at the time of election but the criminal background is conveniently kept under carpet when filing nominations.  Indian politics is entwined with criminalisation and blackmoney . It seems that highly democratic countries are either influenced by family rule or money power as it was in US by Koch Brothers. Probably the influence of money and muscle power are some of the reasons for evils in the society and absence of an effective mechanism to bring to the book faster. Legal loopholes, political interference, delay in trials and dearth of political will power could be the reasons for the absence of effective mechanism.

 

It so happened that Geetha stumbled upon a lead through an informant. It was regarding exploitation of innocent  and financially struggling women who were being deceptively made to become surrogate mothers  and she got some leads on this. As   the girls who got trapped were poor they were scared to go to police . One or two girls who became victim approached her for help. The girls were not even aware that they were in the web of a larger conspiracy of infant trading. The modus operandi was to some how lure the gullible girls either by offering money, intimidation or blackmail. 

Geetha smelt something fishy and decided to investigate into this as part of her social activity and to bring justice to the women who were affected and to expose the people involved in this operation. 

‘Are you a Sherlock Holmes?’ quizzed Monica .

‘eh’

‘we should go deep into this ‘ answered Geetha. 

 Geetha and her friend visited the hospital to get further clue on this.  But she failed to find out any thing foul . While she was waiting to see the doctor , a couple was sitting nearby . She made some enquiries and on a casual talk she came to know that the couple had come to visit the doctor to discuss about surrogacy which the doctor had advised them. As there was nothing suspicious ,  she left it as it was without making any  attempt to further investigate. She was not even sure whether she would be able to dig out the buried secrets from within the four walls of the ill reputed hospitals or she was not sure about its existence even. However she only knew of some web of conspiracies and did not have any idea about the conspirators.

 

    ‘Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman  agrees to bear a child for another person or people, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth, she explained to them .

 

People may seek a surrogacy arrangement when pregnancy is medically impossible, when pregnancy risks are dangerous for the intended mother, or when a single man or a male couple wish to have a child. Surrogacy is considered one of many assisted reproductive technologies’ she explained in Malayalam,  their native language. 

      After a few days she received a call from the same couple . They informed that the hospital was asking high amount as this had to be given to the Surrogate mother and they could not find any means to meet it. The hospital also informed that the cost could be reduced to below five lakhs if they could find a surrogate mother themselves. After much thought she volunteered herself to help them so that  she could get into the details from the hospital to find the truth. Apparently there was  nothing to suspect. 

     She informed  Monica her close friend about her misadventure.  Though Monica dissuaded her ,She consented to be the surrogate mother. The procedure went on well . After a few days she had to visit the hospital for check up. The embryo had not grown and was at  primitive stage. Both of them left the hospital.

A few days with a ghost.                                 Adv. Janardhanan venkiachalam

continues