9-month-old appeals to Delhi HC for making public-breastfeeding possible
Highlighting the need to enable women breastfeed in public, Delhi HC recently asked the Central and state authorities to provide facilities for the same. The court was hearing a plea filed by a 9-month-old, asking for freedom for his lactating mother. His plea insisted that given how unpredictable babies are, mothers face awkward and unwarranted glances when they have to breastfeed in public.
"Government should also give importance to creating infrastructure for mother-child"
The infant, Avyaan, asked, "Don't I have a right to enjoy mother's milk?" in his PIL that he filed through his mother Neha Rastogi. Their lawyer Animesh Rastogi emphasized "the state and others are obliged to protect and facilitate the nurturing relationship between mother and child." He suggested "creating infrastructure for mother-infant," should also be in government's plan, alongside building smart-cities, cattle-protection, etc.
Fact-check: Honorable judges, Indian airports do have breastfeeding rooms
The HC bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar noted that while globally having a room in public for lactating mothers is a norm, these facilities are absent in India. Even in airports such rooms don't exist, the court observed. The bench has got this wrong. Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata airports are among some that have exclusive breastfeeding rooms.
HC directs authorities to prepare action plan in 4 weeks
Keeping August 28 as next date of hearing, the bench asked Central and Delhi governments, along with all land-owning agencies like DDA and civic bodies to prepare a plan of action to address the issue. The report must be presented to HC within four weeks.
Do you think a mother breastfeeding publicly is vulgar?
The infant's plea starts off a prevalent debate as to why public-breastfeeding is considered a shameful act anyway. Why do people stare like perverts when breastfeeding is only a natural thing? In most parts of Europe, USA and even Africa, public-breastfeeding is a norm protected under laws. Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, Philippines and Taiwan accept public-breastfeeding gracefully. So why is India lagging behind?
