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:
“I am an IAS officer, so I have to look after my service. Due to COVID-19, there is a responsibility on all. God has given women the strength to give birth to her child and care for the child. In rural India, women do their household and work related to their livelihood in pregnancy during the near days of delivery and after giving birth they take care of the child and also manage their work and household.”Soumya Pandey, IAS Officer
‘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.
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