First praise, then brickbats: Doubts over #SelfieWithDaughter pioneer Sunil Jaglan dampen his celebrations

When PM Narendra Modi announced the #Selfiewithdaughter contest as part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative on his Mann Ki Baat, it became an instant trend on social media. [caption id=“attachment_2318892” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sunil Jaglan. Image Courtesy: Twitter[/caption] Modi credited this unique way of encouraging female empowerment to Bibipur village sarpanch Sunil Jaglan, who began the selfie contest initially in Haryana, a state that has a history with female infanticide.

In Haryana, a village Sarpanch initiated a #SelfieWithDaughter initiative: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 28, 2015

Jaglan launched the contest in which parents from across the state had to take selfies with their daughters and send it to village  through social messaging app Whatsapp and the best three selfies would be awarded. While Modi’s praise for Jaglan was profuse and well deserved for the initiative, it turns out that the sarpanch himself may not be the best of role models. Jaglan was suspended by the Jind deputy commissioner (DC) in March for irregularities in the panchayat’s functioning. However, his suspension was later stayed by the Punjab and Haryana high court, according to a report by the Hindustan Times. Jind district development and panchayat officer (DDPO) Rakesh Kumar said that Sunil Jaglan was suspended following a complaint that he installed a submersible tubewell from panchayat funds at a private residence rather than at a common place. Another detractor of the sarpanch was Mahabir Jaglan, a senior geography professor at Kurukshetra University (KU) who said that a survey conducted by his students disputed Bibipur village’s claim of saving the girl child. He claimed that the Bibipur sarpanch has been talking about this for the past five years by launching various campaigns but has made no difference to the girl child and the social status of women in his village, He claimed the survey found that the village was no better than other villages in social parameters. “The overall gender ratio in the village is 866, which is lower than the Haryana average,” he said. However, Jaglan claimed that he was doing good work for the village and carrying out a campaign against female foeticide but despite all this, he was being harassed by the administration and politicians. “I don’t know why they are against me,” he said. He claimed that he had spent Rs 5 crore, including grants from the state and the central governments, on various works in the village during the past five years. He, however, failed to answer questions about the sex ratio in his village for the past five years, but claimed that 19 girls were born against 16 boys during the past one year. While we cannot say how effective Jaglan’s efforts will be in his village, his idea has definitely captured the imagination of the internet. (With agency inputs)