Gujarat man among last to become single dad, to twins, via surrogacy

AHMEDABAD: The role of a father defines 37-year-old Pritesh Dave of Surat, who became a single parent of twins — a boy and a girl — early last year through surrogacy after his search for a bride always ended in rejection because he did not have a government job.

Infertility specialist Dr Parth Bavishi said Dave is one of the last few men to have achieved this feat months before the new surrogacy law came into force. “According to the new rules, surrogacy is not allowed for single men, women, live-in and same-sex couples,” he said.

Dave knows how fortunate he is. “I got lucky. A singleton like me cannot qualify for surrogacy now,” said the proud father, a self-employed bachelor who spends his time between Surat, where his parents live, and Bhavnagar, where he runs a Grahak Seva Kendra for a nationalised bank.

Dave said there are many men in his community who are not able to find brides as parents prefer to marry off their daughters to youths with government jobs. “We have land and property, but that does not count,” said the man who didn’t go to college after Class 12.

With the arrival of Dhairya and Divya, his time is more taken up now than it ever has been. “My parents were dejected when I could not win a girl’s hand in marriage. However, the arrival of the twins has filled our house with joy,” Dave said, while acknowledging that his mother has been the pillar of support in raising his babies.

“I may not have a life partner, but I have now a family for life. This is the biggest blessing,” he said, asserting he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Infertility specialist Dr Janki Bavishi said after Bollywood celebrities Karan Johar and Tusshar Kapoor became single fathers through surrogacy, many single men had been seeking out this option, but the new laws do not allow it.

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