Back in 2020, Scotland proposed a provision to provide free sanitary products to women. Soon after, multiple metro stations in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida started providing free sanitary pads to women. During the lockdown days, Lucknow started delivering free sanitary napkins to women.
All this was done to ensure women, irrespective of their social and economic status have access to sanitary pads. But Bihar’s IAS officer Harjot Kaur thinks that demanding free pads from the government is like asking for freebies in return for the vote we give them.
During a program, a girl from Patna questions Kaur in Hindi, “When the government is providing us things like school uniforms and scholarships, then why can’t it provide us Whisper (sanitary pads) worth Rs 20-30?” Her question was welcomed with roaring applause from the audience.
Irked by the appreciation the girl got on her legit question, the IAS Officer and MD of Women Development Corporation, Government of Bihar, said, “Ye jo taaliyaan baja rahe hain, is maang ka koi ant hai? Rs 20 or 30 rupaiye ka Whisper bhi de sakte hain kal ko jeans pant bhi de sakte hain.,” she goes on.
(The people who lauded her, is there a stop to these demands? They can give Rs 20 or 30 Whisper followed by jeans pants.)
Adding to this, she says, “Aur ant mein jab parivaar niyojan ki baat aayegi toh nirodh (condom) bhi muft mein hi dena padega. Sab kuch muft me lene ki aadat kyun hai?”
(And lastly, when it comes to family planning, the government can also provide free condoms. Why are you habituated to getting everything free from the government?)
Watch:
A simple request for good quality sanitary pads (costing Rs 20-30) was met with a snarky response from Bihar’s IAS officer Harjot Kaur.
“Tomorrow you'll say the Govt can give jeans too. And why not some beautiful shoes after that… family planning method, nirodh too.” pic.twitter.com/b98VWA3b8H
— Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) September 28, 2022
Her counterargument sparked a discussion online. Some spoke in favor of her.
I disagree with u on this,sanitary pad may be essential for women but that doesn’t mean you can expect something like that from govmt, it’s not simple as you have called it,thing used every month by majority of women can not be just given free it would be nightmare for govmt
— Gajanan Chame (@GajananChame2) September 28, 2022
To be fair the lady IAS officer has a point.
There is no limit to demanding freebies.
— Arvind Kumar🇮🇳 (@Bonzo706) September 28, 2022
It’s not snarky. Freebies from the govt forever will keep them in poverty for life without any inspiration to move up the social ladder.
— 🇮🇳 નારદમુની 🇮🇳 (@LearningSoul_) September 28, 2022
She was right though.
U can’t expect govt to provide these things (even though govt does sell low cost sanitary pads)
Ultimately, people shd be able to buy dt themselves.
At best,govt can create an environment where companies are able to manufacture and women are able to buy
— Eric (@RaghaavMD) September 28, 2022
She didn’t said, you will ask for condoms, nope, she said many things and thus has a point. From free ration to free healthcare (aayushman bharat). Now people are becoming so useless that that expecting everything free. Maybe monthly payout too.
Kejriwal ji may promise that.— Manish Sharma 🙏 ॐ 🙏 हर हर महादेव 🙏 (@loginmanish) September 28, 2022
While I agree with the points made by the officer, maybe the method to convey could have been little better.
— Anurag Katriar (@KingKatriar) September 28, 2022
In a way the bureaucrat was not wrong. Just the framing was undiplomatic & blunt
— Ishan Naik (@ishan_100) September 28, 2022
Hear the full response. What’s wrong she is saying? People have started depending on freebies.. and don’t even get ashamed. Do you want to make a country of beggars?
— BabaBihari (@BabaBihari_007) September 28, 2022
Others found no logic behind her comparison of sanitary pads with denim or condoms.
They are not asking for free. They are asking if they can be provided cheaply. These things are not easily available in villages and people have to pay premiums for them. Lack of availability may stop girls from going to schools and get education.
— Hemant Rana (@hemuda01) September 28, 2022
Many developed countries in the world give many things free to the common ppl.
Mauritius is Hindu majority country, it has no river no food production.. but it gives many things for free, it is a welfare state and let me tell u there is nothing free in Pak it is failed state.
— neha 💗 pa.ranjith (@numargaonkar) September 28, 2022
And the biggest irony is that she is MD of women and child development. https://t.co/j6rDXCThPF
— name cannot be blank (@mastikichakri) September 29, 2022
Presenting another idiot bureaucrat🤦♂️ https://t.co/CISTZMT2Su
— 𝓡𝓪𝓿𝓲 𝓢𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓱 🇮🇳 (@RaviHighOnLife) September 29, 2022
This is rich coming from someone getting everything free, right from accommodation, vehicle, driver…. And who pays? We!! She has the gall to snub her benefactor! https://t.co/pCmYOKy5Oa
— Swathi Vadlamudi (@Hindu_vs) September 29, 2022
Not something which is expected out of an IAS officer. https://t.co/MKqE8o4F5B
— Shreya Banerjee (@JustEnaThings) September 29, 2022
Sadly, identifying as a woman doesn't always automatically give you sensitivity to understand 'gender issues' ! Interesting sociological question is do women in power think/behave less like 'woman-archetype'? or what's the intersectionality of power and gender? https://t.co/mFDJSCEPR4
— Omkar Joshi (@omijomi) September 29, 2022
Now that she says it, yes, condoms should be made accessible to young people. As well as HPV vaccines to young women. https://t.co/2zJBS307pm
— Shiladitya Pandit (@panditsTOI) September 29, 2022
There are people defending the IAS officer!
It’s unimaginably and unforgivably tone deaf but what’s worse is how it is amenable to so many! https://t.co/Tym1wuQVEX— HM (@hash_brown7) September 28, 2022
Considering that the government provides a product costing Rs 20 every month to the women of India, it would put a lot of stress on the money bank. Having said that, waiving off the taxes levied on necessary items like a sanitary pad or coming up with cheap and best menstrual products would definitely be helpful for those who can’t afford these products and resort to using leaves, old clothes, and other unhealthy items during their periods, therefore, risking their lives further.