INDIA: Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, a 1992 batch Senior IAS officer and the MD of the Bihar Women and Children Development Corporation, sparked controversy on Tuesday with her aggressive comments to questions posed by female students during an event for Class 9 and 10 students here.
At the “Sashakt Beti, Samriddh Bihar” event, which was organised by the Corporation and UNICEF, a video featuring student questions and the officer’s testy and annoyed responses went viral on social media.
In response to a cheering student, “Can’t the government provide sanitary pads for Rs 20 to Rs 30 to girls students when it provides school dresses, scholarships, bicycles, and many other facilities to students?” Bamhrah reacted angrily. The IAS officer said that while the question was being applauded, the demands were endless.
“Does this demand have a limit?” The girl was instructed by Kaur, “Tomorrow you will ask for pants, then gorgeous shoes, and lastly, when it comes to family planning, you will say that the government should distribute condoms too.” The student then said that the government visits them to solicit their votes.
IAS officer Bamhrah yelled fiercely, “Mat do tum, vote! Sarkar tumhari hai. Bewakoofi ki intaha hai! Mat do tum vote, nahin, nahin.Ban Jao Pakistan: You are not required to cast a ballot. Become more like Pakistan. It’s the pinnacle of stupidity!)”
In response, the female student said that since she is Indian, why would she go to Pakistan?
“Using taxpayer money, the government provides facilities. Why wouldn’t taxpayers seek the services if they are paying money to the government?” she enquired.
Another female student reported a problem with the restrooms in the school for girls, claiming that the boys also use them. “Tell me, do you have separate toilets at your home for boys and females?” the officer says in a calm voice. “How will it work if you keep asking for a lot of things in different places?”
“The government does so much, so why should we rely solely on the government?” IAS officer Bamhrah asked.
The Social Welfare Minister, Madan Sahni, expressed outrage at the situation.
“She (the IAS officer) was expected to encourage the girl youngsters, but she was discovered to be discouraging them. This is unfair. She must avoid uttering such things in public,” the minister said in a statement.
IAS officer Bamrah remarked, in response to queries from reporters about the video, “It’s all fake, malicious, and incorrect reporting of an occurrence. I’m regarded as one of the most outspoken supporters of women’s rights and empowerment. Such desperate measures to damage my reputation may have been used by some cunning individuals.”
Strangely, Bamhrah said in her speech that girls should be “self-dependent to breach the gender boundaries” and that “many state government programmes are targeted at the reduction of gender imbalance.”
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