A Gurgaon-based CEO has sparked a debate after questioning the common Indian belief that parents are akin to God.
Taking to X, Jasveer Singh, co-founder and CEO of Knot Dating, argued that becoming a parent does not automatically make someone wiser, more intelligent or morally superior. “Parents are not God. Stop treating them like one,” Singh wrote in his post.
Singh began by referring to the commonly heard phrase, “Maa-baap Bhagwan ka roop hote hain”, arguing that parenthood should not be equated with divinity. “Becoming a parent is not an achievement. It is a biological process. Having a child does not suddenly make you intelligent, educated, wise or morally superior,” he wrote.
To explain his point, Singh referred to a friend he has known since childhood and said he was familiar with the person’s habits, flaws and decisions. He questioned whether becoming a father could fundamentally change those traits. “Did childbirth suddenly make him wise? Did becoming somebody’s father upgrade his intelligence? Did all his flaws disappear? No,” he wrote.
“He is exactly the same man. The only difference is that now there is a child who has been socially trained to believe that his father is somehow 'God'. That is absurd,” he added.
(Also Read: ‘Gurgaon ke entitled parents’: Mom slams irresponsible parenting in viral video)
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: ‘Gurgaon ke entitled parents’: Mom slams irresponsible parenting in viral video)
{{/usCountry}}Singh argued that parenthood brings responsibility but does not automatically give parents unlimited authority over their children. “If you were immature before becoming a father, you are still immature after becoming a father. A baby does not arrive with a certificate of wisdom for the parents,” he wrote.
“Parenthood gives you responsibility. It does not give you divinity. It does not give you unlimited authority over another human being. And it definitely does not make everything you say correct,” Singh added.
He also challenged the argument that children owe their parents lifelong obedience because their parents gave them life. “If your parents hadn’t given birth to you, you wouldn’t even be here saying this. Correct. But you never asked to be born,” Singh wrote.
“Having a child was their decision, not yours. You wanted a family. You wanted children. You wanted your bloodline to continue. Whatever your reasons were, you made that decision. The child does not owe you lifelong obedience because of a decision you made before they even existed,” he added.
Singh then turned his criticism towards certain aspects of Indian parenting. “This is where Indian parenting becomes deeply problematic. Too many parents don’t raise children to become independent adults, they raise them like assets,” he wrote.
(Also Read: IITian who made $1 million playing poker says parents once struggled to explain his career)
How did social media react?
The post prompted mixed reactions online. While some agreed with Singh’s argument, others criticised the CEO for what they viewed as an overly broad argument about parenthood.
One user wrote, “So true . But many raise their kids with love and hard work . Many work two jobs so that their children get a better life . Burdening a child with your ambitions , your way of life , insisting on choosing their partner is all wrong . Let them live their life.”
“It's all about teaching them manners and respects. It's not that the kids are expected to get up and worship me on a daily basis. Our daughter we celebrate as Laxmi ka roop but I'm not praying to her. It's just a way to increase love and respect,” commented another.
However, one user wrote, “I dunno about other’s parents, for me mine are god! Flawed or unflawed, they are my parents, and I'm definitely lucky to have them! I agree with some points here that parents won’t change overnight obviously, but there are parents who do change overnight to make the right decisions for their children!”
“It's difficult to be a parent. Takes a lot. To place parents at par with God is an emotion. You may have a bad personal experience but this generic subtle hateful shout has thoda cool aur intellectual liberal lagu aisa kuch post kar deta hu vibe. For me, my parents are GOD,” said another.
“Stop demonising Parenthood. No one is God, we chose to believe in their devotion. It takes great sacrifice and selflessness to raise children. I, became a parent recently and can understand the pain of sleepless nights. I atleast expect my kids to respect the process,” wrote one user.