A day after a video clip showing a Chandigarh traffic police constable on duty carrying her five-month-old baby in her lap went viral on social media, a fact-finding probe was marked to ascertain the sequence of events.
Priyanka, a constable, had been on a six-month maternity leave and had resumed her duty on 3 March. The viral video was shot by a local resident near the Sector 15/23 intersection, when Priyanka was performing her duty.
While many social media handles, including actor Swara Bhaskar, praised her spirit and glorified undertaking her duty while she was with child, others pointed to the lack of child care facilities in the country for working women.
Amid all the messages of bravado, the cop told The Indian Express that she was forced to take her child on her duty as there was no one to look after the infant.
“There is no one at home to look after my son, who was born prematurely. My husband and in-laws are in Mahendragarh. I joined my duty four days ago. For the first two days, I was given duties near my residence after my request to do so. On Friday, my duty point – the Sector 15/23 roundabout, was very far away from my residence. I got late and received a call from the Traffic Police Lines, Sector 29. Duty is first for me, but I also cannot ignore my child. So, I took my child to Traffic Lines and later went to the duty point. My request for shifting to a lighter duty point was accepted by the SSP (traffic),”Priyanka told The Indian Express
‘Must Stop’: Priyanka Chaturvedi Leads Charge
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, giving examples of many instances where infants are brought to work, said that the culture “must stop.”
Arun Bothra, a cop, added that women cops were in need of ‘crèches and not bravado.’
Multiple Twitter handles posted against glorification of women who bring their kids to work, pointing out that our social system is ‘screwed up.’
“A cop performing her duty keeping her child in her lap is not acceptable. I have received initial reports from the field staff and have shifted the cop for a lighter duty. I ordered a fact-finding report of the sequences, in which the constable brought her child to the duty point,” SSP (traffic/security) Manisha Chaudhary told The Indian Express, after criticism on social media.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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