Inspiration or Ignorance? IAS Returns to Work with Infant in Tow
A video of IAS Officer Saumya Pandey, working with her baby girl in tow, has gone viral on social media.
advertisement
The Internet was left divided after IAS Officer Saumya Pandey, who was appointed as the nodal officer for COVID-19 in Ghaziabad district in July, returned to work a fortnight after she gave birth. A video of Pandey, working with her baby girl in tow, has gone viral on social media.
While some took to Twitter to call her an “inspiration”, others said that this was “no bravado” but “ignorance.”
Speaking to news agency ANI, Pandey said:
‘Dedication We Need to Have’
National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairman Rekha Sharma were among those who praised Pandey, stating that this is the dedication we “all need to have towards our duty.”
‘Maternity Leave Is Not a Crime’
However, many working women on Twitter also pointed out that maternity leave was no crime or luxury.
“Why can’t media-savy mothers stand-up and speak about mother’s need for paid maternity leave and creches at workplace,” asked journalist and writer Mrinal Pande.
Why Put Infant at Risk?
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, on the other hand, said that bringing a 14-day-old to prove a point was unnecessary as both mother and child needs time to recuperate.
Many others pointed that the baby needed a safe environment, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
- Access to all paywalled content on site
- Ad-free experience across The Quint
- Early previews of our Special Projects
Published: undefined