Centre's blasphemy: Raped or not? Single mothers may face unsettling questions for child's Passport

Mumbai, Oct 31: Women have been targetted again, this time single mothers. And the irony is, it comes directly from the Centre. Getting a

for children of unwed or single mothers will be difficult now. The Union Government told the Bombay High Court that an unwed mother has to declare how she conceived, whether she was raped and how she was raped.

The reply was to a query by a division bench of justices V M Kanade and Anuja Prabhudessai, which was hearing a petition by a woman who was asked not to enter her step-father's name in the passport. Discussing the matter, the HC asked,"We were wondering what happens in case of unwed mothers?" Appearing for the ministry of external affairs, Advocate Purnima Bhatia said that an unwed mother should file an affidavit stating how she conceived or if she was raped and who raped her, and why the father's name is not included.

She further added that the details have to mentioned in the passport manual, which is a classified document. The judges were shocked too.

A 21 year old woman had filed a petition challenging the refusal of a regional passport officer to issue passport in the name of her step-father as per school/college records. The official also said that she must obtain a court order appointing him as her guardian. The officer also refused to include the name of her mother who had permanent custody of the girl.

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