·                                 Parents Born 23 Kids -

Mohd. Ishaq doesn’t remember the names of  his 23 kids or even recognize all of them. Yet, he is all set to welcome his 24th child  next year. MiD DAY meets the man, the machine and the family that does not believe in family planning

Love’s labor: Mohammad Ishaq and Bismillah with their family of 23 at a village in Mewat, Haryana

(Mewat, Haryana): A 40-year-old woman in Mewat district of Haryana gave birth to her 23rd child on Sunday. The baby was born to Bismillah (40) and Mohammad Ishaq (50) at the nearby Al-Afia Government Hospital in the district.

The couple were married in 1976 and since then, Bismillah has given birth to 23 children, the latest addition being a female child who was born on Sunday and named Shabira.

  God’s gifts

Speaking to MiD DAY, a happy and delighted father, Mohammad Ishaq said, “Yeh though sab Allah ki den hai, agar hamara chaubiswa baccha agle sal hua though woh bhi hum Allah ki den samjhenge. (All this is Allah’s gift. If we get a 24th child next year, we will welcome it too)”

  Too many to recall

However, when MiD DAY asked him the names of his children, Ishaq had to take help from his son and neighbors.

“I find it very difficult to remember their names as they all look the same,” he said.

Ishaq, builds thatched roofs in nearby villages and ferries goods for shops in the vicinity for a living.

Hoping for support

Bismillah the mother of 23 children, hopes that her children will take care of her. “I feed my children chicken, mutton and chivda, with my daughters helping me in the cooking,” she says.