A 70-year-old from Muzaffarnagar, India, became the world's oldest woman to give birth after she delivered twins Friday.
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Omkari Panwar, the wife of a retired farmer, delivered the twins - a boy and girl - via Caesarean section. Panwar, who has two adult daughters and five grandchildren, underwent in-vitro fertility treatment so she could produce a male heir. Her husband, Charan Singh Panwar, 77, mortgaged his land, sold his buffalos, spent his life savings and took out a credit card loan to finance the treatment. "At last we have a son and heir," he said. "We prayed to God, went to saints and visited religious places to pray for an heir." "We kept no stone unturned and God has rewarded us. The treatment cost me a fortune but the birth of a son makes it all worthwhile. I can die a happy man and a proud father." "This is an extremely problematic pregnancy," Alvarez said of Panwar. "The stress that is put on the heart, kidneys and liver put her life in danger. And the twin babies have the risk of not getting enough nutrients because the vascular system is so compromised on a 70-year-old womb." |
This is so wrong on many levels. Among the obvious questions: Who is going to raise these babies when the parents die? What 70 year old has the energy to care for and run after 2year olds day in and day out? What happens if dementia sets in? I shudder to think of what could happen.
What message is this giving the twin girl? "Oh you are just a by-product we really just wanted your brother because he is the "male heir." So this old man is saying he is not proud of either of his adult daughters or the new little girl. Life is only worthwhile if you have a son? I really feel sorry for this man and those with like minds. What an archaic social system. These situations perpetuate the oppression and abuse of women.
It is pathetic that in an age where India has produced so many educated and enlightened women that contribute so much there are still those with this mindset. It would not surprise me to learn he still adheres to the caste system also.
Edited: alskann on 5th Jul, 2008 - 8:14am
Alskann-
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It would not surprise me to learn he still adheres to the caste system also. |
The caste system is a social stratification long practiced in India. You were born into a certain caste or social class. You could not rise above that which you were born into. You could not marry above your class.
The caste system in the religious form is basically a simple division of society in which there are four castes arranged in a hierarchy and below them the outcast. And then there were the untouchables, the lowest of the low. The untouchables are not allowed to even touch a member of the higher castes.
The basic castes are Brahmins who were the spiritual and temporal guides, teachers and exponents of law; Kshatriya were the nobility (warriors, princes, kings, etc.); then the Vaishya, were those who worked in agriculture and merchants; and Shudra were the manual and agricultural labourers, artisans, masons, etc. Then you had the untouchables. And a 6th group, which was considered as unclean as the untouchables - the malecha, or foreigners.
India has made efforts to move away from the caste system and has been legally forbidden. But it still exists in some places in India.
Lets see your 70 and in 18 years you will be 88 if you live that long. I wonder if these two will still have parents by the time they are 18? I think the outdated caste system in India is what caused this. I have see the way some treat their women. I think they are worse off than the untouchables. I hope that the kids grow up fine but you have to wonder with parents this old.