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Slumdog Child Star for Sale!
Categories: Adoption, Celeb Kids, Celeb Parenting, Behaving Badly, In The News
A recent expose involving the child star, Rubina Ali, of the Oscar winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" is bringing to light the plight of our world's poorest children, the victims of parents who are willing to sell them, like cattle, for profit or hope of a better life.
After seeing Rubina's living conditions on Al-Jazeera television, a wealthy Middle Eastern family expressed interest in adopting her. Rubina's father was interested in their offer, but when investigators for the British tabloid, "The News of the World," posing as a Dubai sheikh, also expressed interest -- and offered more money -- Rubina's father and uncle were caught on tape in scandalously callous negotiations for the adorable nine-year old. The transcripts reveal a lot of discussion about money and virtually none about the background of the couple or the safety of his child. In fact, dad and uncle actually brought Rubina to the luxury hotel suite to dine and meet the fake sheikh and his wife. Rubina, however, thought that they were rich fans and had no idea that her father was there with the purpose of selling her.
Sadly, in India, 11 million children are abandoned annually. According to the article, the trafficking of poor Indian children to the Middle East is common in the slums of Mumbai and those who are sold are often forced into child slavery, prostitution, sexual abuse or forced to risk their lives as camel jockeys. It is hard to believe that Rubina's father is completely unaware of the fate of these children.
I personally have seen the poverty of Mumbai first hand. I will never forget the moment I stood on the boardwalk in Mumbai and saw half-clothed and naked toddlers, being led by a five or six year old, with no adult supervision in sight. I watched in disbelief as they dug through piles of trash for food and scraps. The images haunt me even more now that I have children of my own. This is poverty beyond anything seen in America and it is difficult to comprehend the choices that face those who live in these conditions.
Not surprisingly, the blogs are heating up with debate about Rubina's father, the investigation, and even the director of Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle. Some are questioning whether Boyle has a responsibility to the stars who were plucked from Mumbai's slums and ended up going to Hollywood Oscar parties and Disneyland and then back to the sewage infested slums they came from.
The only good I can see in all of this is that had it not been for Rubina's fame, we would not be talking about child trafficking. The name-less, face-less child victims suddenly have a face and a name. That's the first step.
Note: Looking for steps? Check out this site for 21 ways you can help stop child trafficking. There are plenty of other sites and organizations. Find one that speaks to you and donate!
After seeing Rubina's living conditions on Al-Jazeera television, a wealthy Middle Eastern family expressed interest in adopting her. Rubina's father was interested in their offer, but when investigators for the British tabloid, "The News of the World," posing as a Dubai sheikh, also expressed interest -- and offered more money -- Rubina's father and uncle were caught on tape in scandalously callous negotiations for the adorable nine-year old. The transcripts reveal a lot of discussion about money and virtually none about the background of the couple or the safety of his child. In fact, dad and uncle actually brought Rubina to the luxury hotel suite to dine and meet the fake sheikh and his wife. Rubina, however, thought that they were rich fans and had no idea that her father was there with the purpose of selling her.
Sadly, in India, 11 million children are abandoned annually. According to the article, the trafficking of poor Indian children to the Middle East is common in the slums of Mumbai and those who are sold are often forced into child slavery, prostitution, sexual abuse or forced to risk their lives as camel jockeys. It is hard to believe that Rubina's father is completely unaware of the fate of these children.
I personally have seen the poverty of Mumbai first hand. I will never forget the moment I stood on the boardwalk in Mumbai and saw half-clothed and naked toddlers, being led by a five or six year old, with no adult supervision in sight. I watched in disbelief as they dug through piles of trash for food and scraps. The images haunt me even more now that I have children of my own. This is poverty beyond anything seen in America and it is difficult to comprehend the choices that face those who live in these conditions.
Not surprisingly, the blogs are heating up with debate about Rubina's father, the investigation, and even the director of Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle. Some are questioning whether Boyle has a responsibility to the stars who were plucked from Mumbai's slums and ended up going to Hollywood Oscar parties and Disneyland and then back to the sewage infested slums they came from.
The only good I can see in all of this is that had it not been for Rubina's fame, we would not be talking about child trafficking. The name-less, face-less child victims suddenly have a face and a name. That's the first step.
Note: Looking for steps? Check out this site for 21 ways you can help stop child trafficking. There are plenty of other sites and organizations. Find one that speaks to you and donate!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
LS 4-21-2009 @ 7:30PM
Rachel, please check your link for "21 ways..." I've tried three times now, and keep getting a "page load error". Even when I reduce it to born2fly.org, I get the same message.
Reply
Herbal Remedies 4-21-2009 @ 9:20PM
Poverty in India is not only part of their reality, all Africa has the same stigma that motivates parents to perform actions such as selling their children which is deplorable in all respects. If you want to help these people should introduce more effective methods of control from institutions such as UNESCO or the UN. As for the girl's father Slumdog is an example of this barbarism.
Herbal Remedies
http://www.naturals-products.com
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queenoqueens 4-22-2009 @ 12:22AM
I just wanted to cry with your description of the toddlers and the 5 year old leading them around. The thought of my child, or any child, experiencing that fate is so heartbreaking.
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ninainindia 4-22-2009 @ 10:01AM
Yes India is where you see real poverty, that goes beyond anything you could imagine. Give a biscuit to a child and there will be 2 children fighting for a piece of it. So many people sleep on the street and really on the street, they have nothing.
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LS 4-22-2009 @ 12:10PM
If anyone is interested, I figured out the problem with the link in the story. Here is the correct link:
http://www.born2fly.org/pages/get_involved.html
Reply
Kristin 4-22-2009 @ 2:15PM
Such a heartbreaking reality. I hope you're right and that with the glaring spotlight on child trafficking now, more can be done to stop it!
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SKL 4-22-2009 @ 5:01PM
I hope the filmmakers have plans to donate a lot of their earnings to help alleviate the problems they highlighted in the movie. From what I've heard, the amount they have donated so far has been paltry; but I hope they are planning a lot more.
I found the film very depressing because the reality of the slums isn't going to change significantly, unless there is a huge change in Indian economics. I've been supporting organizations working there for years, and I've visited twice, and I can tell you that even building a whole school and educating, clothing, and feeding a whole neighborhood of kids is just the tiniest drop in the bucket. On the other hand, a dollar can go a long way there, if it gets into the right hands. And it's better to do something than to do nothing.
The fact that people would speak so matter-of-factly about selling their kids reminds us how very different their world is from even the poorest of the "poor" in North America.
By the way, the biggest problem in India is its bureaucracy, which not only permits but requires bribery/corruption, including the ability of child exploiters to pay off the cops to do serious harm to anyone who tries to report these evils. The resulting feeling of hopelessness can be traced to the socialist form of government, which requires said huge bureaucracy to "operate." Just something to think about as our country gets more socialist/bureaucratic by the hour.
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tongoyj61 6-30-2009 @ 6:51PM
Why adoption out of the country? why not adopt a baby here, yes in USA?, why the famous go to africa or oriental country to adopt?
Our children do not have the right?
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