Another reporter reporting on surrogate hostels in India

With the up coming program “uncovering” surrogacy in India, I’m starting to feel like surrogacy hostels in India are a like ‘ye olde curiosity shop’ for western reporters. They enter the same hostels attached to the same clinic in the same city in India and report on exploitation, again. I’m not saying we don’t need media covering stories of surrogacy, but a more nuanced approach (and different clinics for example) would be really welcome around now…

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/surrogacy-blooming-business-in-gujarat-shah-rukh-aamir-khan/1/301026.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/inside-indias-baby-factories-where-surrogates-1296328

World’s first ‘baby factory’: Inside India’s home for surrogate mothers

http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/transcript/id/600008/n/india-s-baby-factory

The new one stop shop in Gujurat

 Check out this image of the planned one stop shop Doctor Patel of Akshanka has planned! It looks like a design inspired by neurons. You can read the article here if you are interested in a bit of sensational reporting 😉  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2439977/The-baby-factory-In-huge-clinic-India-hundreds-women-paid-5-000-Western-couples-babies.html

Outsourcing a life – chronicle report

I’m not sure about the title of this one – if anything is being outsourced in commercial/compensated surrogacy arrangements it is the uterus rather than life. Nonetheless this is an interesting account of transnational surrogacy.

You can have a read here: http://www.sfchronicle.com/local/bayarea/item/India-surrogacy-23858.php

Sacred Thread

Sacred Thread.

Sacred Thread

There are two ceremonies involving sacred thread in India (that I know of). One celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters and another the relationship between a boy and his spiritual identity. Raksha Bandhan or the bond of protection is an annual festival in India. During the related ceremony sisters tie a sacred thread, or rakhi, around their brothers wrist. This act symbolises the sisters wish for her brothers well-being as well as the brothers responsibility to protect his sister. The sacred thread ceremony or Upanayana is an initiation ceremony wherein a boy accepts a spiritual identity and teacher. The Jenoi (sacred thread) is tied around the initiated boy’s wrist. In both instances the sacred thread is worn by a male and reminds him of his responsibilities whether related to his spiritual integrity or his brotherly responsibilities. Women may tie the thread but do not wear it.  So, it is interesting that a new book on an IP experience of surrogacy in India is titled the Sacred Thread. The author, Adrienne Arieff describes her unusual journey into motherhood. Unlike most IPs who become parents through surrogacy in India, Arieff was able to move to Anand in Gujurat for the duration of the pregnancy and spend time with Vaina, her children’s surrogate. I love the idea of claiming the very male symbol of the sacred thread to describe the relationship between herself and Vaina as well as that between Vaina and the authors children. I can not think of a thread more sacred than the life giving umbilical cord – I love that this notion weaves itself into the imagery of the title.

Upcoming surrogacy conference at Gujurat National Law University

The Gujurat National Law University is organizing a ‘National Conference on Surrogacy: Issues and Challenges’. The conference was originally scheduled for the 17th of September but has been moved to the 9th of October.

The conference aims at:

“Recognising the need to discuss various issues clouding the concept of surrogacy which is a contemporary practice, especially in India, the conference hopes to address the issues and challenges surrounding Surrogacy. The Conference will see the convergence of Medical and Legal scholars and will provide a platform to all stakeholders to deliberate the issues in a comprehensive manner, stated a press release.”

You can have a look at the details here.

This will be an interesting conference in light of the upcoming ARTS bill here in India. More discussion and research is needed and I am very excited about attending. I will post afterwards and let you all know how it went and some of the main issues discussed.