“You Gave Birth To 2, Why Not 20?”: Uttarakhand CM’s Colonial Remark; blamed US for ‘200 years of rule in India’

Dehradun: After making headlines over his controversial “ripped jeans” comment, the new Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat, is back with another — this time blaming the US for “200 years of rule in India”.

While addressing the public in Ramnagar on 21 March, he blamed the US for “200 years of rule in India”- came after the misogynistic note he made in Dehradun, in which he said women should not be allowed to wear ‘ripped’ jeans. 

He said,” “America, which enslaved us for 200 years and ruled the whole world, is struggling” to control the coronavirus pandemic.”

Further, Uttarakhand CM expressed concern over the struggle poor families endure to feed themselves amid the Covid Pandemic. Mr Rawat said,” Every household was given five kg rations. If 10 (people in a home) got 50 kg, then 20 got a quintal (100 kg). But some were jealous that two people got 10 kg and 20 got a quintal. Why? When there was a time you only gave birth to two… why not 20?” 

Since the National outbreak, India has had strict lockdowns which paused the economy and left crore without food or jobs- the centre distributed ration under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, which offers five kg of food grains and one kg of pulses per person per household. 

 Rawat, who was sworn in as Chief Minister on March 10, dismissed talk that families with fewer children were getting less (in terms of food rations) and seemed to suggest that poor people – for whom providing food for their children was a heartbreakingly difficult job even pre-Covid – should have had more kids so they could get more rations today. 

Earlier this week Rawat faced wrath for controversial comments on women wearing ‘ripped’ jeans; he declared that they could not provide the “right environment” at home for their children.

After noticing women in ripped jeans operating an NGO, he said,” If this kind of woman goes out in the society to meet people and solve their problems, what kind of message are we giving out to society, to our kids? It all starts at home. What we do, our kids follow. A child who is taught the right culture at home.” He later apologized for his rude comments.