Sunil Jaglan: Bibipur’s Son Fights for the Respect of Daughters

Sunil Jaglan’s creativity was at its peak when his daughter was born. He wanted to show his gratitude to the nurse by offering her money, but she refused, saying the doctor would be angry. She added that if he had a son, it would have been a different matter.

Haryana is a state full of contradictions. It’s a leader in the Green Revolution but also suffers from high unemployment. Despite progressive ideas like “Are our daughters less than sons?“, it has a dark history of honor killings and female foeticide. Many eligible young men had to look for brides in distant states like Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar, or their families had to pay a high price for marriages.

In this complex background, Sunil Jaglan’s efforts stand out. Born in the small village of Bibipur in Jind district, Sunil was a shy child who sat at the back of his class. Inspired by his father to become independent, he started tutoring children in mathematics to earn money. Later, he became a popular mathematics teacher. However, the condition of his village society bothered him deeply, leading him to contest the Sarpanch elections in 2010.

Sunil, then 29, faced opposition for daring to run for office in a society driven by caste and religion. Yet, his education and commitment to betterment won the villagers over, and he was elected Sarpanch.

Gender discrimination was rampant in Sunil’s society. He saw his mother and sister suffer because of it. As Sarpanch, he had the power to make a change. In 2012, on National Girl Child Day, Sunil’s daughter was born. Despite the nurse’s negative comment about having a daughter, Sunil celebrated joyously, distributing sweets to the entire village. However, many villagers hoped he would have a son next time.

Sunil’s happiness didn’t wane. Instead, he threw a grand celebration for his daughter’s birth. Concerned about the dismal sex ratio—only 832 girls for every 1,000 boys in Haryana according to the 2011 census—he took action. He organized a Mahila Gram Sabha (women’s village council) to address female foeticide, realizing that women often had no say in such decisions.

He launched the “Nigraani Rakhna” campaign to monitor pregnant women and protect them from pressure regarding female fetuses. This campaign gained national attention, earning his village recognition for government reform.

During his tenure, Sunil also initiated campaigns like “Lado Library” and “Selfie with Daughter.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the “Selfie with Daughter” campaign in his Mann Ki Baat program, leading to a nationwide movement. This campaign inspired the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter) program. Sunil even became an advisor to several universities and was recently appointed as an advisor by UNICEF.

Sunil Jaglan’s dedication has brightened the lives of the women in Bibipur. The documentary “Sunrise,” based on his work, won a National Award and has been shown in about 75 countries. Truly, Bibipur has every reason to be proud of this remarkable son.