With great power comes great responsibility! An IAS officer's job is to carry the public's responsibilities on their shoulders. Looks like Harjot Kaur Bhamra couldn't bear the weight of sanitary napkin demand. IAS officers and civil servants have the talent to meet the needs of people and not just crack UPSC exams.
Harjot Kaur Bhamra heads the state's Women and Child Development Corporation. In an event on 'enhancing the value of girls', in Patna, a school girl made an affordable sanitary pad demand.
"Can the government give sanitary pads at Rs.20-30?"
This angered officer and she went on to jibe,
"You will eventually ask the government to give 'Nirodh' (condoms) too"
The girl gave a befitting reply to her saying it is the people who make the government. The officer lost her calm and snapped,
"Don't vote, then go to Pakistan. Do you vote for money or services?"
The girl retorted, "I AM AN INDIAN. WHY SHOULD I?"
The cliche "Go to Pakistan" is now used too often by the purveyors. The Officer needs to revise the constitutional rights.
Amid the echoes of claps, Ms. Bhamra rebuked, "Why do you need the government to meet your needs, this thinking is wrong."
This doesn't stop here, Harjot Bhamra went on to make derogatory remarks.
Another student reported problems in the toilet like how some boys enter the girl's washroom and make them uncomfortable. At this, the officer asked if they have separate toilets for them at home. This left audience appalled.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) and Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar took cognizance of the matter. However, the girl, Riya Kumari who made the sanitary napkin demand doesn't want action against the IAS Officer. A written explanation has been sought by NCW from the bureaucrat.
After receiving backlash for her remarks, Ms. Bhamra apologized to the girl students in a letter, "If any girl was feeling hurt over my statements, I apologize to them."
Words make politics and people read between the lines.
(Inputs from various media sources)