Dr Nishant A.Irudayadason
Professor of Philosophy and Ethics,
Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune.

Taking suomoto cognizance on the death of a four-month-old due to exposure to cold in the protest against CAA/NRC at ShaheenBagh, the supreme court asked how an infant could go to protest and how mothers could support this. It is a tragic death; a four-month old infant does not deserve this. The supreme court is right in raising its concerns that an infant which cannot even speak cannot protest and why should they be victimized. Some people think that while these concerns are legitimate, this should lead us to deeper haunting questions of the Indian social reality. Dr Aparna, National President, Indian Federation of Trade Unions, raised at least three important thought-provoking questions that we as citizens of India cannot ignore.

Tens and thousands of homeless families are forced to spend their lives on pavements and on streets with infants all through the year. They breathe polluted air, drink unsafe water and are exposed to epidemics? Can we let infants live in such appalling conditions? It is a pity that we have failed to provide roof for many poor people that include infants. Yet these infants cannot protest. If they could speak, they would have raised their voice. Now sadly they will have to be content with silence.

The plight of many infant of poor working mothers has been deplorable and no consistent effort has been made to end this. In spite of the law that demands crèche for the infants of working mothers, it remains only in paper and is far from reality. The situation is worse in the case of mothers who are employed in construction work. They have no choice except to lay their babies in the construction sites risking their lives. But if they do not take up the construction job, again they risk letting their babies die of malnutrition. Does a four-month baby deserve this? Why have we not raised such questions at such odd and painful everyday reality but raise this question only when an infant died in a protest? It makes us wonder if we betray a patriarchal mind-set that a woman (especially if she is poor) has no right to work or to protest because she has to carry her baby along

What has been happening in Assam in recent months is even more devastating. Infants can be suspected and labelled as unlawful citizens and illegal migrants if their parents cannot prove their citizenship by providing birth record. They can be locked up in detention centres along with their parents. They cannot refuse to be detained or demand their rights. After all they cannot speak and therefore cannot protest. It looks as though ability to protest is a prerogative of the privileged and the poor women and infants have to be silenced.

It seems wiser to look at the unequal social and economic conditions in a comprehensive way before singling out an individual death of an infant and quizzing mothers participating in a peaceful protest. There is a long way to go to ensure healthy and happy life of infants especially those from the weaker sections of the society. Sadly, the nation has misplaced priorities and divisive politics that prevent any inclusive development. The voice of millions of protestors gets faded away in the thin air. If we really care for the poor infants of the country, and want to avoid such tragic deaths then it is on war footing that we need to change economic and social structures. If not, it is not the mother who is responsible for the death of the four-month old infant but the entire Nation.