Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar stirred up a storm of criticism on Tuesday with his remarks in the Assembly regarding the fertility rate and the education of women. The comments, which have caused a widespread uproar, have drawn sharp rebukes from political opponents and women’s rights activists alike.
During the discussion on the recently conducted caste survey on the second day of the ongoing winter session of Bihar state legislature, Nitish, while discussing the fertility rate, said: ” Agar ladki padh legi… aur jab shaadi hoga ladka-ladki mein… aur woh jo purush hai, roz raat mein jab shaadiya hota hai, uske saath karta hai na… to usi mein aur paida ho jata hai… aur ladki padh leti hai… ki humko maloom tha ki woh karega theek hai… lekin ant mein usko bheetar mat ghusao… usko bahar kar do… aur karta to hai… to usi mein… aap samajh lijiye ki sankhya ghat rahi hai.”
“We want the girl to study. When there will be a marriage between a boy and a girl, then the boy does it every night… so he (another child) is born. And if the girl studies then she will know that he (husband) will do the right thing, but in the end, don’t push it inside, keep it out. That’s why the number is decreasing,” Nitish’s statement roughly translates into English.
Following the Chief Minister’s controversial remarks, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack. Samrat Chaudhary, the BJP state president in Bihar, expressed his dismay, stating, “With folded hands, I request CM Nitish to be careful while speaking, as he is an elderly person. Today 6.5 crore women of entire Bihar were put to shame. Mother and sister in Bihar will run away from going to Nitish Kumar’s meeting.”
Union Minister Ashwini Choubey also condemned Nitish Kumar’s comments, calling them “shameful” and unprecedented in the history of the state. “What he has said is condemnable. He should immediately resign and apologize to the people of the entire country. I feel that if he does not do so, he should be dismissed,” Choubey asserted.
The Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Rekha Sharma, joined the chorus of disapproval, demanding an immediate apology from the Bihar CM. Sharma emphasized, “NCW on behalf of every woman in this country demands an immediate and unequivocal apology from CM Nitish Kumar. His crass remarks in the Vidhan Sabha are an affront to the dignity and respect that every woman deserves. Such derogatory and cheap language used during his speech is a dark stain on our society.”
Nitish Kumar’s deputy and the de-facto leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, however, came to his defense, suggesting that the statement should be interpreted as a form of sex education. “Let me tell you one thing. It is wrong if someone misinterprets it. The statement of the CM was regarding sex education. People are hesitant whenever the topic of sex education is discussed. This is now taught in schools. Science and biology are taught in schools. Children learn it. He said what should be done practically to stop the increase in population… This should not be taken in a wrong manner. It should be taken as a sex education,” Tejashwi asserted.
