The three-year-old child, whose video while being beaten during a math lesson by her mother went viral and sparked a debate on child abuse by parents, is the niece of Bollywood singers Toshi and Sharib Sabri, reported Hindustan Times. Moreover, Toshi went on to defend his sister, saying that she should not be judged for beating her ‘stubborn’ child.
In the video, the child is constantly pleading the mother to stop, followed by the slaps. And the expressions on the kid’s face – that of anger and frustration as well as helplessness – compelled many Facebook and Twitter users to speak out on the issue of child abuse, even if it’s at the hands of their own family members.
Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh shared the video on their Instagram accounts, calling out the parents of the girl, asserting how a child should never be treated this way.
But here’s the surprising part. The girl in the viral video is three-year-old is Haya, niece of Bollywood singers Toshi and Sharib Sabri. Toshi appeared on Voice of India, and crooned the famous song Maahi from Raaz: The Mystery Continues. Hindustan Times then contacted the singer and he then tried to justify the brutal act.
He said, “We know about our child better. Haya’s nature is such that after being scolded, the next minute she runs off to play. But, because of her nature if we don’t push her, she won’t study.”
“The video was made by the child’s mother, who wanted to show her brother and husband that how stubborn the girl has become,” he said. “The homework she gets in nursery, of learning numbers, she’ll never be able to learn. All the crying was for that moment so that her mother doesn’t make her study and let her play. Haya is just about 3 years old,” said the singer.
“It’s not a big issue. In every house there are different kinds of children. Ours is a very stubborn child but is extremely dear to us,” he asserted.
Talking about his sister, Toshi added, “When others are feeling bad seeing the video, then being a mother of course she’s upset, too.”
“One can’t judge a mother’s love for the child by seeing a short video. If children throw tantrums, then should we stop teaching them? It’s not easy to raise children. I’m married and have a son. I know how difficult it is to raise a child. Parents have to do double duty by managing both — the children and the household at the same time,” added Toshi.