'Modern Indian women want no marriage, children': Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar sparks controversy

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar sparked a controversy after he claimed that modern Indian women ‘want to stay single,’ and are unwilling to give birth even after marriage and desire children by surrogacy and for saying that this is “not a good thing.”

"Today, I am sorry to say this, lots of modern women in India want to stay single. Even if they get married, they don't want to give birth. They want surrogacy. So there is a paradigm shift in our thinking, which is not good," said minister while addressing an event held to mark World Mental Health Day on Sunday, October 10, at Bengaluru’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS).

However, his remarks about women have been criticised by many online.

Kannada actor and social activist Chetan Ahimsa also criticised the remark and tweeted saying, “Health Min Sudhakar regressively claims it’s ‘not good’ that many women today dont want marriage or children. Why should women when they face the brunt of patriarchy via dowry/wedding expenses/curbed freedoms/sole parental responsibility? If you care about women, fix the problems.”

Another Twitter user, Katyusha tweeted, “No matter how much India progresses, the average Indian man will not change.”

Twitter user and journalist Faye D’Souza tweeted: “Ah! The modern woman of India, source of all problems. If only women would marry and stay at home we would solve unemployment, poverty, petrol and LPG prices, lack of hospital beds, potholed roads, electricity shortage, crime and hunger.”

Many other Twitter users pointed out that it was a “bizarre statement” to make on World Mental Health day.