A young mother in Kolkata’s South City Mall was denied the permission to breastfeed her baby. The incident happened on Sunday when she was out shopping with her family, and it was time for her to feed her baby. To her utter shock, the mall authorities and most shopkeepers refused to let her sit and breastfeed.
After a lot of confusion, a shopkeeper finally gave her his cramped trial room for breastfeeding.
I entered the washroom but it was very smelly so I could not feed my baby there. She was hungry and crying and out of desperation, I tried to use a corridor bunch but it was very uncomfortable. I then approached a few shopkeepers, but they refused. I then approached the multiplex, they too did not help. The baby was wailing but the mall staff did not move. I then encountered an apparel shop that did not have any customers in it. I approached them and they gave me a cramped trail to breastfeed in.The mother to The Times of India
‘Home Chores’ ?
A couple of days after the incident, the mother gave a poor review to the mall on Facebook. She talked bout the general apathy of the authorities and the shopkeepers. To that, the mall authorities responded by saying that such ‘home chores’ should be managed at home.
The Outrage That Followed
The mall authorities asked the mother to ‘plan it before hand’. Internet however, was not going to let go off this incident easily.
After the massive outrage on social media, the mall authorities released an unconditional apology which also got trolled.
After the incident, according to The Times of India, the mall authorities have reportedly set up a baby feeding room on the first floor of the mall. The second floor too will have another breastfeeding room which currently is under construction.
But the question that we must ask ourselves is this: Do mothers really need a secluded corner in a public place to breastfeed their babies? What is it about a woman’s breast that makes us, as a society, so conscious about them?
This incident will be a real victory if women don’t need permission anymore from anyone to breastfeed anywhere!
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