Stuti Agarwal | The Times of India | 30 October 2015
Indian society may not be even close to losing faith in the institution of marriage or the overhyped yearning for sons, but some women are daring to break tradition. An increasing number of women is opting for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and daring to tread the brave new path to being single mothers. And contrary to its image, society seems to be rather open to the concept.
Documentary filmmaker Anindita Sarbadhicari, who mothered a son through IVF a year ago, feels society has come a long way vis-a-vis acceptance for all things radical. “We always fear society’s reaction. But when my son Aarush came into my life, the reception amazed me. We were showered with love. All the people I know — even middle-class Bengali women, traditionally considered troublemakers — were protective of my son. I didn’t face a single negative experience all through my pregnancy and the past year since his birth. I’ve also had school principals calling me up, asking me not to worry about his admission.” As for her decision to become a single mother, Anindita said, “We live only once and I wanted to make the most of my life. I wanted to be a mother, but there was no man in my life. I knew I could meet someone and get married at 50. But motherhood would be out of question by then. So I decided to juggle the chronology a bit and be a mother first. The best apart was that the country’s law allowed me to do so.”