Dear Respected Parliamentarian,

While we respect your right to an opinion on every issue on this earth, we cannot help laugh at your remarks on Karan Johar’s parenthood through surrogacy.

You, Sir, want to know why Karan chose surrogacy rather than adoption. It’s like asking why God chose to make some politicians into peaceniks, and others into chronic trouble makers. (You and your colleague a certain Mr Owais could perhaps answer that question). It’s the way things are.

You accept an individual’s right to take personal decisions without questioning it just as we accept the fact that no matter what you do there will be someone who thinks Lata Mangeshkar can’t sing right and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is not beautiful.Or, as your daughter-in-law lately said, there ‘s always going to be somebody who hates peaches.

And gives hate speeches,I might add.

Of course some will always have their why-oranges-and-not-peaches arguments.Just to set the record straight—and not because anyone owes you an explanation and Karan does not owe you or anyone an explanation as to why he chose a particular path to parentage—KaranJohar who is one of the entertainment industry’s most loved and respected entities(your son and daughter-in-law would vouch for that) did consider adoption.

Not too many people close to him know this, but he explored several adoption options. But adoption in this country specially for a single male , is next to impossible. Women have it much easier in this matter at least. With all the sexist rant against them that is thrown from everywhere including politics,it is a blessed relief to know that at least some of them find life manageable and succeeded in dodging those sleeping dogs that are placed in their way.

Men don’t have it that easy when it comes to adoption. I’ve a close friend in the film industry who decided to adopt a child. After much searching and persuasion he succeeded in zeroing in on a little baby whom he wanted to take home as his own. For two months he visited the orphanage doing paper work and getting increasingly attached to the child whom he now thought of as his child….only to have his hopes dashed to the ground when the child’s real parents showed up to claim their child.

My friend vowed never to attempt parenthood again. I am sure KaranJohar wanted to avoid any kind of extraneous threat to his plans of parenthood.And the only way to do so is by ensuring the child is biologically his. Surrogacy, Mr Politician,is not a sign of illness.Unles you meant to take a dig at Karan’s sexual orientation.

This country is filled with homophobic movers and shakers. We as a nation do not respect non-conformists .Anyone who threatens the status quo is considered dangerous. Or worse still, anti-national.

A sincere request to all the opinionated opinion makers of the nation. Please leave Karan alone to enjoy his newly discovered joys of parenthood.

Humbly and respectfully yours

Subhash K Jha