In sharp and stinging criticism of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s advice to newlyweds in his state “to immediately have babies”, as a response to the impending threat of delimitation, which is widely expected to happen next year, the Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India has said its “thoughtless and reckless”, adding that it is also an “advice that will not work”.
In an interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Poonam Muttreja says that the chief minister’s statement reflects an attitude to women that is “orthodox, out of touch and ridiculous”. She called it “a step backward”.
Muttreja also said that in an age when women are asserting their independence, wanting to be educated and seeking work and making their own choices, she is confident that the women of India will not heed Chief Minister Stalin’s advice.
