(November 30, 2010) Proposed legislation to govern the use of reproductive technology
in India would bring moral and social anarchy in the country, Church people have warned.
“The bill will have far reaching consequences in our society and we are dead against
it,” Archbishop George Valiamattam of Tellicherry told ucanews on Monday. Hundreds
of people attended the recent seminar organized by the archdiocese to explain the
bill and its social implications. The Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation
Act (ART), which the government plans to introduce in parliament soon, provides a
national framework for accreditation, regulation and supervision of clinics dealing
with assisted reproductive technology. The bill was prepared by the Indian Council
for Medical Research and aims to help people who try to conceive using donated eggs
or sperm, to identify the donors. The legislation also gives donors and their offspring
an opportunity to access this information. Fr.Paul Thelakat,editor of Church weekly
in Kerala, said that the proposed legislation would “open a Pandora’s box”as it would
question “the very definition” of marriage and parenthood, “the foundations of the
our society.” The bill allows opening of sperm and ovum banks and encourages surrogate
motherhood. This will lead to“unforeseen moral and physical issues”as young people
may sell ovum and sperm to make money. The bill will open a new market where everybody
can become “sellers and buyers,” Fr.Thelakat warned. Fr.James Puthennadayil, who
directs the family apostolate department of Tellicherry archdiocese, said they have
already launched a signature campaign to mark their protest. “The diocese plans
more seminars and public meetings to awake the public,” he added.