The father of the 11 children (L), a representational image of a hospital lobby.
Credit: X/@AAPforNewIndia, iStock Photo
A video clip of a man from Haryana's Jind district who appears to forget the names of his 10 daughters during an interview has left the netizens in a state of disbelief and reignited discussion around gender bias.
In the interview, the man lists out his daughters and the grades they study in, but fumbles a couple of times while recalling their names.
He says that whatever has happened was god's will. "With my meagre means, I am trying to give my daughters a good education... Whatever has happened was god's will and I am happy with it."
The interview, which has gone viral on social media, took a controversial turn as people pointed the aspect of seeing the birth of a boy in the family as a measure of social honour.
An 'X' user reposted the video saying, "Men’s obsession with having a 'boy' is so deep that a woman’s body becomes a trial-and-error machine. 10 daughters weren’t enough. One son finally arrives and suddenly society wakes up.
"This isn’t culture. This isn’t tradition. This is insecurity, entitlement, and zero accountability. Stop blaming women for births. Start questioning men who can’t accept daughters," the user elaborated.
Another user called it "sick and disgusting", commenting on the fact that the doctor called it a high-risk pregnancy for both mother and child. "Sick and Disgusting. 11 years 11 pregnancies. No woman deserves this. Not the wife, at extreme risk, blood loss and probable lifelong physical problems, not the 10 daughters this sick man can't even name. All for what? A son who will most likely be grown in this patriarchal sick mindset of using the woman like a ... baby machine with no choice and no say leave alone freedom (sic)."
Highlighting gender bias, another user said Indian traditions were deeply rooted to it. "A couple in India has ten daughters and keeps trying until finally the eleventh child is a son. That’s how much daughters are valued. But when parents are old, sick, and need round-the-clock care, suddenly daughters are 'naturally more nurturing.'"
The user continued, "Daughters are expendable when lineage is at stake, but indispensable when labor is required. Unwanted at birth. Essential at burnout. Sons are for inheritance, names, and social applause. Daughters are for bathing frail bodies, managing medications, absorbing guilt, and being told it’s their duty. It’s a neat arrangement. Girls are liabilities until they become free caregivers. Then they’re priceless. Rejected for legacy. Recruited for labour. Denied value when they ask for love, education, or inheritance, but summoned without question when it’s time to serve. And Indian society calls this tradition. Hypocrisy."
A doctor at the hospital where the delivery took place said that the delivery was a high-risk one for both child and mother. The baby only had 5g of blood, and both were kept under observation to monitor their improvement.
Haryana's sex ratio saw improvement in 2025 with 923:1,000, clocking a 13-point jump from 2024, but lower than the national average of 1,020 females per 1,000 males.