The young girl becomes increasingly distressed in the video (Picture: Liveleak)

A distressing video of a three-year-old girl crying, pleading and being slapped by her mother has gone viral sparking widespread debate about disciplining youngsters.

The child is being taught to read the numbers one through five but becomes increasingly distressed with tears visibly running down her face.

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She then puts her hands out as if to say ‘stop enough’. Clasping her hands together as though praying for the lesson to end, the youngster once again starts counting.

This time the child makes errors. The mother, increasingly agitated with the girl’s either inability or stubborn refusal to get it right, slaps the three-year-old.




It gained enormous prominence after it was condemned on social media by Indian international cricket captain Virat Kohli.

Posting to Instagram he wrote: ‘The fact that the pain and anger of the child is ignored and ones own ego to make the child learn is so massive that compassion has totally gone out of the window.

‘This is shocking and saddening to another dimension. A child can never learn if intimidated. This is hurtful.’

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Fellow international Yuvraj Singh wrote: ‘Is that how you going to bring up your child ?

‘Absolutely disgraceful and disturbing behaviour by this parent ? you need to give your child love and compassion to get the best out of them !

‘Unacceptable ?’

It later emerged the girl’s name was Haya, and was a niece of Bollywood singer songwriters Toshi and Sharib Sabri.

International cricket stars joined the condemnation of her treatment (Picture: Liveleak)

They said the video had only been intended to be shared among the family’s Whatsapp group and to show the girl’s father how stubborn she had become. They also thanked the cricket stars and ‘every other person’ that shared the video saying they would have done the same thing.

The pair posted a video response in two languages on their Facebook page.

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The message, translated by the Indian Express, said: ‘Hi everyone, firstly I would like to appreciate and thank Virat, Yuvraj and Shikhar and every other person that has got my niece’s video out, I would have done the same if I was in their place.

‘We would only like to say this much that in the video that came out, it is our niece and her mother, who happens to be our sister, is trying to teach her daughter, who is very stubborn and obstinate. She has been trying to teach her the same thing since the past three-four days but she was not able to grasp it.

‘The video was made for her father and us to show that the child has grown even more stubborn.





A heartfelt message for all, for the video of our niece that had gone viral recently, here is us on behalf of her mother whose apple of the eye she is and every family member who loves her. – Thank you Shaarib & Toshi #Love #MotherDaughter #LoveOurNiece Geplaatst door Toshi Sabri op Woensdag 23 augustus 2017

‘A mother who lives with her daughter 24/7 is obviously worried about her studies and upbringing.

‘And, lastly, we both wanted to request something from you all.

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‘We are happy that as much as we care about our little girl, the entire country also cares that much.



‘She is very small, just three years old.

‘Now the thing is that, when she goes to playschool or the park, people start clicking pictures and taking selfies.

‘This is very hurtful for her. She has no idea what is happening to her. We both request you to end the matter here. All of you are her well-wishers. It is our humble request that you just pray for her well-being. Thank you.’

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