Kolkata’s Jeeja Ghosh has always been undeterred by what could have been a limitation: cerebral palsy. She has won every battle coming her way with her fierce spirit, willpower and hard work. And now, she has adopted a child. This possibly makes her the first person with cerebral palsy in Bengal – and in India too — to do have adopted a baby. The 48-year-old resident of Kolkata’s Ballygunge Circular Road adopted a five-month-old girl child from Odisha’s Keonjhar last week, it was reported by The Times of India.
The baby – whom the new parents giddy with excitement lovingly call Bhujungu and Sonai – has brought immense happiness to Jeeja and her husband Bappaditya Nag. Jeeja, a disability activist, had been pulled out of a plane in 2012. She fought it out and the Supreme Court subsequently directed the private airline to pay her compensation. Last year, a documentary film made on Jeeja won a National Award.
The adoption procedure in India is complex, and for Jeeja it was an even more trying experience. But neither she nor her husband let it stop their determination. The legal part of the adoption process is not yet over – as they have to file a court application in Keonjhar. Following this, they would require a court order to become legal parents of the child.