- Viral video of mother saying goodbye to daughter crossed 2.8 million views
- Manasa Banoth is a single mother pursuing a master’s degree in Canada
- She faced online backlash for leaving her child in India
- Legal hurdles prevent her daughter from getting a passport
- Manasa says the move is about long-term stability, not abandonment
Last week, Manasa Banoth, a 28-year-old single mother from Hyderabad, found herself at the center of a social media storm after sharing a deeply emotional video of herself saying goodbye to her three-year-old daughter at an airport. The clip, posted on January 26, showed the child crying as Manasa walked toward security, leaving her behind in the care of her grandparents.
“23 kg allowed… so I left my heaviest piece of my heart behind,” Manasa wrote in the caption. The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 2.8 million views on Instagram, and triggering a wave of harsh criticism.
Commenters questioned her priorities, accusing her of choosing career ambitions over motherhood. Some suggested she should have taken her daughter with her, while others argued that no job or degree justified leaving a young child behind.
Speaking to HT.com over the phone, Manasa pushed back against the criticism, saying her decision was driven by necessity, not selfishness.
“I am a single mother, and I am doing this so I can give my daughter a stable future,” she said. Manasa is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Internetworking at Dalhousie University in Canada.
Her marriage, she explained, ended after she experienced domestic violence. After her daughter was born in March 2022, her husband cut off all contact. With no support from him, Manasa moved back to her parents’ home in Hyderabad, where they helped care for her child.
Before leaving for Canada, Manasa tried to build a life in India. She found work as an HR professional earning about ₹40,000 a month, with a take-home salary of roughly ₹35,000. The job required night shifts, and the income barely covered basic expenses for herself and her daughter.
“It was extremely difficult,” she said. “I realized that if I stayed, I wouldn’t be able to give my daughter the life she deserves.”
After facing repeated US visa rejections, Manasa applied to universities in Canada. She moved there in September 2024 to begin her master’s program, with her father helping pay her tuition.
In Canada, Manasa works two part-time jobs—at a coffee shop and a restaurant, to cover rent, groceries, and utilities. Despite the physical and emotional strain, she says she remains focused on her goal of becoming a network engineer.
Her daughter remains in India due to ongoing legal challenges. Manasa says her ex-husband’s consent is required for the child’s passport, but he has stopped responding to all communication. She is now pursuing the matter through the courts.
“Without a passport, she can’t travel,” Manasa said. “I’m fighting this legally, but it takes time.”
Manasa says she does not want to depend on her father indefinitely. “He has already sacrificed so much for us,” she said. “I don’t want him to carry my responsibilities too.”
Despite the online backlash, she remains resolute. “Everything I’m doing is for my daughter,” Manasa said. “One day, I hope she understands that this separation was temporary, but the future I’m working toward is permanent.”
