This Winter Session, the Delhi Legislative Assembly has been witnessing an unusual, yet inspiring scene. A two-month-old baby, Advait Abhinav Rai, accompanies his MLA mother to official meetings. Yes, legislator Sarita Singh is setting new standards for working mothers.
While balancing home, baby and work is a taxing job for every new mother, the MLA found the perfect answer to fulfilling her duties at work and towards her newborn.
At the Assembly, the new mom walks in and out of meetings along with her baby. Advait goes to sleep on laps most of the time. At other times, he watches his mother work. Many of the times, his mom’s colleagues, other MLAs such as Shalimar Bagh MLA and former deputy speaker Bandana Kumari, take turns to babysit the little one while Singh finishes daily commitments
For the recent three-day assembly session, Advait became everyone’s favourite. He was taken care of in the MLA lounge by other legislators when his mother addressed the House.
Even male legislators were seen playing with little Advait. During the session, deputy speaker Rakhi Birla offered her room to Singh to use for nursing the baby
The baby boy has been accompanying his mother to work since January 1. "Believe me, my experience so far shows it is no problem. I am enjoying it as I can work and also have my child around me. While MLAs pitched in to take care of Advait during the assembly session, party volunteers step in during meetings," Singh told TOI when asked why she takes her son to work.
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On asking about the lack of day care centres in a place like the Delhi assembly, Singh said, "Earlier, those who were elected as MLAs were much older. But now with younger women becoming legislators, there will be more instances of working mothers with small children. I got married after becoming an MLA. No nursing mother would want to leave her child behind at home."
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Singh works at the Delhi secretariat, her office in Rohtas Nagar constituency and Delhi assembly. Singh’s husband is an AAP volunteer from the anti-corruption movement days, Abhinav Rai. The couple tied the knot in April 2016. Advait was born on November 8, 2017.
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READ: Kudos to this mom who pumps breast milk while running a marathon
If Singh can, we all can! Hats off to MLA Sarita Singh!
Read More Stories By Ria Das
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