Kerala: Collector's 'mum act' at public event sparks debate

KOTTAYAM: Pathanamthitta collector Divya S Iyer's decision to bring her son to the valedictory ceremony of the International Film festival in Adoor last Sunday and deliver the speech with the three-and-a-half-year-old child in her arms has spared a debate on social media with critics terming the act as improper for a high-ranking officer and those backing Iyer, including her husband K S Sabarinathan, highlighting the multiple roles women play.
Congress leader Sabarinathan said in an FB post that Divya had attended the function, which was not an official event, with their son on her holiday. "If individuals take time to understand the difficulties women face while juggling work and their role as a wife and mother, they will be left with little to criticise," he said. tnn |
Is it wrong on the part of a district collector to take her child along with her to an unofficial public function on her off day? Though this does not even merit a discussion, social media has been burning the midnight oil over such an incident for the past few days.
The topic of discussion was Pathanamthitta district collector Divya S Iyer taking her child to the valedictory of the International Film festival in Adoor last Sunday and delivering a speech there. Deputy speaker Chittayam Gopakumar, the main organizer of the event, had posted the video of the speech on his Facebook page as a friendly gesture.
However, a section of social media tried to trigger a controversy out of the collector's act and it became a topic of lively public debate whether it was right on the part of the collector to do so. Many came out in support of the collector and there was also fierce criticism. The deputy speaker withdrew the post following the debate.
Those who criticised the collector argued that her act was inappropriate. Congress leader K S Sabarinadhan, the collector's husband, said in his FB post that Divya had attended the function with the child on a holiday. He also indicated that the function was not an official one. He also said that even a discussion over it was unwarranted.
"This is not the case of a Divya alone. Majority of working women overcome crisis and difficulties to stand firm on their feet," Sabarinadhan said. Several netizens, including writer Benyamin, had come out in support of the collector on social media.