Bengaluru: In a pivotal move, the High Court of Bengaluru has taken cognisance of concerns surrounding the collection and sale of breast milk, instructing legal representatives of the petitioners to delve into existing laws and submit a comprehensive study on the matter.
The directive came during a hearing on a public interest petition filed by Munegowda of Malarakunte, Bengaluru, shedding light on the pressing issue. Advocate B Visveswaraiah, representing the petitioner, underscored that certain multinational corporations are engaged in the collection and commercialisation of breast milk from mothers, a practice that flouts ethical norms. He urged the court to mandate the government to enact specific legislation to curb such activities.
In response, the bench, led by Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice Krishna S. Dixit, sought clarification on documented instances of breast milk collection and sale, as well as the existence of legal provisions domestically and internationally to address this issue. Visvesvaraya indicated that, based on his research, no such laws currently exist.
Acknowledging the gravity of the matter, the bench emphasized the importance of further investigation and requested the petitioners’ legal team to furnish additional information to the court. The hearing was adjourned until June 10 to allow for the compilation of the study.
Notably, the respondents in the case include the chief secretary of the state government, the principal secretaries of various departments including AYUSH, law, health, women and child development, and the head of the state human rights commission.
The petition highlighted the alarming trend of private entities incentivising mothers in rural areas to supply breast milk, which is then processed into powdered form and sold nationwide. It stressed the vital role of breast milk in nurturing newborns and emphasized the need to halt any commercial exploitation of this essential resource.
The petitioner urged a thorough investigation into such practices and demanded that the government take steps to recover profits made by private companies engaged in the collection and sale of breast milk.
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