Teenage dad!

The news about teenage Dad has a lot to be analysed.

1. The heading in “The Hindu” is “Teenage dad not to be prosecuted.”
I don’t know why only the boy is singled out regarding the question of prosecution. The girl is also equally responsible for this act. Prosecution or no prosecution both are to be covered by the act. It shows the bias against masculine gender. It may be due to the fact though both the boy and girl are part of the act the girl only carried the baby for 10 months. This tendency of tilt towards motherhood is typical of Indian vales. In India we give more respect to mother than father. The saying ‘Thayir sirantha koilum illai, Thandhai sol mikka manthiram illai” meaning there is no better temple than mother and no better mantra (holy chant) than father’s words, brings out the preference we give to mother than father. So it is understandable why only the boy is singled out in the topic of the news column.

2 It is strange that it has become a news in India today. Just 50 years back in India child marriages were practiced. Our grand fathers and great grand fathers were all married at their teens only. But only after the we became British colony we started realizing that child marriage is not good for the society so it was banned. But the history is reversing. Now teen pregnancy is increasing now in Britain.

3 Is it a phenomenon? Definitely it is not. If a man is pregnant then it is a phenomenon. But what has happened is natural. Then why it is becoming an issue under debate? Because the society wants one to become a parent only if he is capable of managing his family financially. This would happen only if he attains a qualification which happens at the age18 or 20 years.


4. The other piece of information is the boys’ parent got divorced. This is also a point to be noticed. He does not have a family to monitor or bring him up properly.

5. He was brought up by a baby sitter. It is obvious that a babysitter is not a 100% substitute for a mother’s care. So naturally change in behavior of the boy is not corrected by the baby sitter at the right time.


6. It is also seen in the news that the boy and the girl were allowed to sleep in the same bed. In India the practice is different. A father avoids touching his daughter once she attains puberty. Similarly a mother also avoids touching his son after hen attains the age of puberty. Even in Mahabharatam our Great Epic it is pointed a mother should not sleep in the same room in which his grown up son is sleeping.

7. The lesson is the Indian tradition is the best to be practiced by each and every one.