Found last yr, Mumbai’s forgotten twins still seeking home

Left on the bench of the outpatient department at J J Hospital in December last year, the four-day-olds became instant stars. The city’s response was so overwhelming that the girls enjoyed 24-hour police security for months.

A friendly Riya links fingers with a chubby neighbour just before lunch time at the colourful nursery of rescue home Asha Sadan as her hungry sister Diya throws a tantrum.

The girls are dressed in donated fluorescent jhablas and flimsy nappies. They share a nursery with Chetan and Jesse—who was also abandoned in December and was earlier called Borivali Fast because he was found in a local train.

‘‘They’re the only twin babies here, but after all this is a stopover home,’’ says Indu Mehta, convenor of the adoption group.

Declared destitute in April, Riya and Diya have since been put up for adoption. But there haven’t been too many enquiries.

All the ‘‘prospective’’ mothers—from the 40-year-old Mankhurd housewife to the doctor in Hyderabad—who had said they wanted to adopt the cuddly girls appear to have forgotten. ‘‘We need to go beyond the ‘poor thing’ impulse to a well-considered decision,’’ says Kaumudi Telang, project director of Indian Association for Promotion of Adoption.

And then there’s the emphasis on healthy children. Diya has just recovered from a bout of measles while Riya struggles with asthma. ‘‘They’ve had several infections. It’s only now that their health has improved,’’ says Saroj Apte, chairman of the 83-year-old rescue home.

In fact, a doctor from Dubai has been persistent about wanting to adopt the girls. ‘‘But she has a 15-year-old son—that’s way too much age difference,’’ Apte says.

Volunteers say stringent adoption guidelines discourage parents, too. ‘‘The babies just need a change of environment, but these adoption laws will cause delay,’’ says Dr Ashok Rathod, a paediatrician at J J Hospital. Riya and Diya are under his care, at least for now.