Indian Adoptees Seek Lost Roots in India

As of 2024-25, 32 inter-country adoptees submitted applications to India's Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) in a significant surge of individuals seeking to reconnect with their biological families. These adults, adopted abroad years ago, are now actively pursuing answers about their origins.

A recent study titled 'Mother Unknown' examined 48 adoption files from India to Switzerland between 1973 and 2002. Alarmingly, the research found no deeds of surrender, indicating a lack of informed consent from birth mothers. The study highlights how birth mothers were frequently erased from official records and public discourse.

Historically, from the late 1960s, numerous Indian children were transferred to foreign agencies with often inadequate or missing documentation. Even after regulations tightened, discretion by intermediaries led to many children growing up abroad with limited knowledge of their heritage. This lack of information has profoundly impacted their sense of identity and belonging.

Personal accounts reveal the emotional toll of these searches, with some leading to reunions and others to dead ends. The quality of historical records significantly shapes the outcomes of these root searches. Legal experts point to a lack of transparency and accountability in past adoption processes.

The ongoing efforts by these adoptees underscore the lasting impact of systemic inadequacies. Their quest is not merely for names or files, but for the missing chapters of their own life stories, reflecting a deep need to reclaim and rebuild their identities.