*(The author is a Director, Institute of Jammu and Kashmir affairs, Karan Nagar, Jammu-180005. www.humanrightsjournal.com Phone numbers: 01912542687, 2543556, 09419102055.)

Wanted a papa..! By Robert Clements Adoption agencies in India are driving themselves crazy, looking for a papa for twelve spoilt bewildered lads, 'Wanted a papa," screamed an ad, "for twelve abandoned youngsters whose father Greg left them two months ago for Australia.

After facing such rejection they've faced another yesterday, when Ford, a new papa found for them also rejected them and went back to Kent.

When another papa, Emburey who had offered to help but who's application was not considered by the Trust, was contacted, he also refused to have anything to do with the poor lads saying they were too spoilt to be able to live with." "We have to do something!" said the owner of an international adoption agency whom the Trust had come to in desperation, "these poor lads will die if they don't get a papa soon!" "I have tried everywhere but it's tough," said his assistant, "Most of the papas don't meet the criteria!" "What do you mean?" "They don't know how to play cricket!" "Ah that's a tough one! But maybe its time we stopped being too particular 'bout that." "There's a fellow outside? Quite keen on the job after I told him how much he'll be paid!" "Call him in! Ah Good morning! I've heard you don't mind looking after these twelve orphan lads? They're a bit spoilt though!" "At three hundred thousand quid, I'll look after the devil himself!" "And you know cricket?" "Cricket?" "Yeah d'you know how to play the game?" "It's like nine pins what? I play that in me pub in London." "No, no you play with bat and ball!" "For three hundred thousand dollars I'm willing to learn chess, baseball, even do the hundred metres dash!" "No, you just need to play cricket!" "Okay let's start.

What's this?" "It's a bat, and this is a ball and these are wickets!" "Blimey! What do I do once I've learned?" "You got to coach these lads!" "They don't know the game?" "They do!" "Then why do I have to coach them?" "Because that's what this job is all about.

You got to be papa to them for the next four years!" "What happens at the end of four years?" "They play the World Cup! If they win they become heroes, if they lose we look for a new papa!" Sachin, Dravid and the rest of the orphaned lads cried, wept and moaned as the man walked out of the room..! About us | Advertise | Other Publications | Subscriptions | Weather | Letters | Send Mail Disclaimer: Information is being made available at this site purely as a measure of public facilitation.

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