Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 09:28 AM IST
Congress Corporator juggles work, motherhood
here were plans of setting up creche in the BMC few years back, but they remain to be plans till date.
Mumbai: Congress corporator Steffi Kini couldn’t agree more to the Marathi proverb Ghar udte aakashi, chitta tiche pilapashi, which means that even while the mother Kite is away flying, she always has her babies on her mind. Such is the state of Ms. Kini at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) meetings, while her husband tends to their infant outside the civic house till it concludes.
Mario Gracious, Ms. Kini’s husband cuddles and entertains three month-old Sanchez, trying to keep him occupied till she is free from house proceedings. He even puts him to sleep in the party office.
“Mario is there to look after Sanchez whenever I come to the BMC. Even my mother-in-law accompanies me at times. It is because of them that I am able to concentrate on my responsibility as a corporator. But if Sanchez starts crying, I have to move out of the House to tend to him,” said the 26-year-old mother, who was elected from ward 32 in Manori.
“I am happy to support my wife. It’s a pleasure taking care of Sanchez. Whenever Steffi is in the House, I take him around the BMC building trying to entertain him,” said Mr. Gracious. Mr. Gracious left his well-paid job at a prominent call centre to look after Sanchez. I will take another job after some time, but right now our first priority is Sanchez, he added.
However, it is not too recent that Mr. Gracious began looking after Sanchez. Ever since Ms. Kini received a ticket from Congress couple of months back to contest the BMC polls, her husband accompanied her carrying Sanchez from door-to-door as she campaigned for rallies.
But after becoming a corporator, juggling politics and motherhood has been a challenge for Ms. Kini. “It takes nearly two and half hours to reach the BMC from Manori. By the time we reach, he gets tired. That’s why there should be a facility of rest-room in the civic body.”
Due to lack of such a facility, Ms. Kini is compelled to feed Sanchez in the security guard’s cabin. “The rest-room facility will be beneficial not only for me but also for other women corporators in future. The house meetings also do not begin on time. So we have to keep waiting in party office.”
There were plans of setting up crèche in the BMC few years back, but they remain to be plans till date.
