NEW DELHI: There is growing support for the demand for baby feeding rooms in public places in India.
Nine-month-old Avyaan Rastogi’s recent petition in Delhi High Court through his lawyer mother, stating that there was a crying need for baby feeding rooms in public places for lactating mothers has not only found support in judicial circles but also from the public. The Delhi High Court also acknowledged the issue and the need to rectify the situation.
Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the matter needs to be examined by all land-owning agencies and civic bodies and issued a notice to municipal bodies and Delhi Development Authority. Avyaan’s father, Advocate Animesh Rastogi said he supported his wife Neha Rastogi, as he wanted to highlight the embarrassment faced by mothers forced to nurse their babies in front of a gawking public.
“In our country there are public toilets, public drinking water systems but no breastfeeding centres. Many countries across the world have feeding centres and child care rooms. We talk about growing and developing by learning from in and around the world, but still, we have not come to achieve such a basic necessity,” said Neha Rastogi. Dipa Sinha, Assistant Professor at Ambedkar University agrees. “While some companies have crèches and feeding centres, a large number of offices lack such facilities. Now as the court is taking steps to remedy this, it will help many mothers and will be a sign of progress for our nation,” she said.
Little Avyaan’s fight for his mother’s right to feed him in privacy, has also got support from Anusuya Chaddha. A working woman with a three-year-old she believes the petition is vital. “I am aware of the problem. I fed my child for around a year and faced problems because of the lack of feeding centres. I read about Avyaan’s petition and feel it’s an important step,” she said. Sonia Sood, a beautician from Paschim Vihar with an 11-month-old baby, couldn’t agree more.
“I think it is important as well as necessary for India to start constructing feeding centres and child care rooms to make it more easy and comfortable for lactating mothers,” said Sonia. There are many countries around the world where a mother’s right to nurse her baby is protected by law and provisions are made to facilitate it. In fact, under the federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984, breastfeeding in Australia is a right, not a privilege while in the UK, to treat a woman less favourably, on the grounds that she is breastfeeding, is regarded as discrimination.
In the US, barring South Dakota and Virginia, all 50 states have this provision. Pointing out the importance of breastfeeding, Dr Rashmi Chandwani, a homoeopathic doctor, Hari Nagar stated, “It’s important food for a baby in its initial stage as it keeps a child healthy and decreases the risk of diseases. New mothers must have separate cabins to feed their babies in public places.”