Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agility with social media is by now a given. Still, you’ve got to raise a cheer for the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign he announced on his monthly radio address, Mann ki Baat, with the aim of bolstering the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ project.
I urge all of you, share a #SelfieWithDaughter. Also share a tagline that will encourage 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' : PM @narendramodi
Some 1,35,000 selfies with daughters flooded Twitter, signalling a surge of positive sentiment. Those who cared to delve beyond the mere thrill of posting a selfie that the PM may retweet would’ve discovered the idea comes from the small village of Bibipur in Haryana where the local Sarpanch had some time ago announced a contest, calling for photos of fathers with their daughters to be sent via Whatsapp.
In these remote corners of the country, an initiative such as this is not a fleeting distraction on social media. It is a powerful way of drawing attention to a curse on Indian society: that of considering a girl child unwanted and a burden. Hundreds of thousands of selfies of smiling daughters send out the message that they can be a source of joy, just the way a male child can be.
So, the hope is that the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign will make its impact far beyond Twitter and smart phones, in those dark places in this country where they destroy female foetuses and even poison infant girls.
The other aspect of the movement is, of course, ‘Beti Padhao’. Daughters must not only be given the gift of life, they must also be empowered with education. Perhaps Mr Modi will come up with another cool campaign to drive home that point, too.
Meanwhile, get out there and post that #SelfieWithDaughter.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Folomojo.com
