Breastfeeding controversy: Complaints against magazine, model
March 02, 2018 18:27
Complaints have been filed before a Kollam court and the Kerala State Child Rights Commission against a Malayalam fortnightly magazine for featuring a model breastfeeding a baby on its cover page.
Advocate Nobel Mathew said he filed a complaint in the Kollam Chief Judicial Magistrate court against the magazine and the model-actress Gilu Joseph.
"The case was filed yesterday before the CJM Kollam for offence under sects 3 and 4 of Indecent Representation of Women Act," Mathew told PTI.
The case has been posted for hearing on March 16.
The model was featured in the latest edition of 'Grihalakshmi,' a sister publication of leading media group 'Mathrubhumi'.
Asked for his reaction on the case being filed on the matter, Joint Managing Director of Mathrubumi group M V Shreyams Kumar said it was done for cheap publicity.
However, he said the group has not received any intimation so far from the court on the matter.
Meanwhile, a complaint has also been filed before the Kerala State Commission for Child Rights.
Commission Chairman Shobha Koshy said it has been done on charges of "fake feeding" and denial and violation of child rights.
"We will look into the complaint," she said when asked if any action had been taken on the matter.
The magazine in its latest edition had featured Joseph, also an air-hostess, breastfeeding the child without covering her breasts as part of a campaign to end the stigma attached to it, igniting a massive debate.
The women's magazine has also launched a 'challenge' urging women to send pictures of them breastfeeding children as part of its 'breastfeed freely' campaign.
Besides the model, the magazine also carries the photos of Amritha, a 23-year-old Keralite homemaker breastfeeding her one-and-a-half-month-old daughter in a similar way.
In January, Amritha's husband Biju, in his Facebook page, had shared a photo of her breastfeeding their child, urging to end the stigma attached to open breastfeeding.
The magazine drew inspiration from the couple's bold act to launch the unique campaign.
In the article, titled 'Don't stare, we want to breastfeed', the magazine also quotes a number of women from various walks of life including professionals and homemakers.
It also carries a detailed article by award-winning writer Indu Menon in this regard. -- PTI
IMAGE: Anoushka Shankar shared the pic on Instagram on her son's third birthday. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anoushka Shankar/Instagram
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