Recently, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas announced on Instagram, that they have become parents via surrogacy.
While friends, family, and fans flocked social media to congratulate the couple, writer Taslima Nasreen, right around the same time, shared her opinions about surrogacy:
How do those mothers feel when they get their readymade babies through surrogacy? Do they have the same feelings for the babies like the mothers who give birth to the babies?
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) January 22, 2022
Surrogacy is possible because there are poor women. Rich people always want the existence of poverty in the society for their own interests. If you badly need to raise a child, adopt a homeless one. Children must inherit your traits—it is just a selfish narcissistic ego.
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) January 22, 2022
It is shocking and to a certain extent, distressing, that even in today’s day and age this needs to be repeated, but, there is NO one way to be a mother.
The act of childbirth, alone, does not determine motherhood or parenthood. To call surrogate children ”ready-made” and question a parent or mother’s attachment to a child born out of surrogacy is downright disgusting. If a father can develop a bond with a child that he does not carry for 9 months, so can a mother.
Such a comparison also blatantly ignores very real issues such as post-partum depression which makes it difficult for mothers to bond with their children, and forced motherhood that married women often succumb to out of societal pressure. Additionally, much like surrogacy, adoption is a personal and private choice and not a ‘service’ that anyone can practice.
The question of whether surrogacy is an exploitative practice, with respect to women from economically weaker sections of society, may be a topic of discussion – but is the best time for this discussion when a couple is sharing the joys of becoming a parent?
Many people took to Twitter to slam Nasreen’s views:
As a child adopted out of the system as a toddler, I say this with the utmost disrespect: shhhhutthefuckup
— Imani E. McElroy, MD, MPH (she/her/hers) (@IEMcElroy) January 23, 2022
Beyond trying to shame people who can’t have children think about all the children you are trying to make question their parents. https://t.co/cNmUiPxbbg
since when does the quality of ‘motherhood’ depend on how much discomfort one has borne? equating one’s tolerance of pain with their worth is a very toxic trait to possess. https://t.co/UkI1SybCWz
— sivvy (@jungbareumx) January 23, 2022
Fun fact: Many biological mothers struggle to love their own babies initially due to sheer exhaustion, poor health, lacking support & untreated postpartum depression. You don’t hear about it because it’s a taboo topic. Just Google postpartum stories & you’ll know. https://t.co/jynrBFpOnB
— Fariha (@fariha1a) January 23, 2022
this kind of ignorance coming from a physician, a south asian woman at that, is appalling. who the fuck are you to define motherhood for another woman? put your ass away taslima. https://t.co/mnuwf5HqzU
— pro_glock_vice (@trill_samosa) January 22, 2022
Why don’t you ask the same question for fathers? https://t.co/NSHDePc1dF
— Caraxes (@davosinskagos) January 22, 2022
Do you ask the fathers the same question? Are fathers any less connected to their borns? https://t.co/SoQ7jasXEz
— Dhoom Tananana🌈 (@dhoomtananana37) January 24, 2022
So vile https://t.co/w2SRlRBgXn
— Exhausted(Taylor’s Version) (@Nahopayega09) January 23, 2022
There’s no difference between the love for a baby you gave birth and a baby or a child you adopt, and loving your kid you had via surrogacy. Also, how do father’s feel abt kids since they don’t give birth? https://t.co/0bpmtH6Mps
— DystopianMagic (@DystopianMagic) January 23, 2022
How do those fathers feel when they get their readymade babies through every pregnancy? Do they have the same feelings for the babies like the mothers who give birth to the babies? https://t.co/YnBmh149Uu
— 𝐚𝐬𝐡 | 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐭𝐰𝐭 (@SaddBibliophile) January 23, 2022
The writer soon responded that her tweet was not directed at Priyanka and Nick, and she loved the couple, but the idea was to call out the practice of surrogacy, which she believes to be exploitative in the way it is carried out currently.
My surrogacy tweets are about my different opinions on surrogacy. Nothing to do with Priyanka-Nick. I love the couple.
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) January 23, 2022
I won’t accept surrogacy until rich women become surrogate mom.I won’t accept burqa until men wear it out of love.I won’t accept prostitution until male prostitutions r built & men wait for female customers.Otherwise surrogacy,burqa,prostitution r just exploitation of women& poor
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) January 22, 2022
Priyanka Chopra or Nick Jonas have not yet responded to the matter.
