As one grows through the difficult experiences of puberty, enjoying the liberty of education, exploring the joys of womanhood, it is nauseating to know that someone will never feel the thrill of dancing in the first shower of rain, never breathe the air of freedom, will never be the person she could have been, without any fault of hers but only because she was a girl, a woman in the making.
Once in our lives, most of us must have heard that a child is a ‘gift’ from God. Though whatever biology may suggest, it is not an uncommon sight in India to see couples praying to be blessed with a child. But almost half of India, no longer considers it a blessing if that child happens to be a girl. The blessing soon becomes a curse and the ‘precious gift’ is done away with as soon as possible before extending another demand to God, that of a ‘male’ child. The doing away often includes either being ‘given’ in marriage to another toddler (or in some cases, to men twice or even thrice their age) or worse, slaying her even before she can take one free breath. Of late, technology seems to have facilitated this diabolical slaughter even before the birth of the child in the form of female foeticide.
The United Nations says an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India.
Female foeticide is a practice that involves pre-natal sex determination and a subsequent abortion if the sex of the foetus is female. While the methods of detection may vary from amniocentesis and chronic villus sampling to ultrasonography, the reasons often cited are family pressure, the ‘expenditure’ required for having a girl child ( an obvious reference to dowry that would be necessary for the future marriage) and the perennial desire of the patriarchal society to have a son, an heir, a successor. The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice but conformity. So people who don’t dare to carry this ‘burden’ often end up conforming to the ludicrous norms.
Strange as it may sound to many, especially ‘urban’ people but this unfortunately, is a reality that cannot be ignored with reports of some of the worst sex ratios being found in India. Punjab, Orissa, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra and even the capital Delhi that have shown the most pronounced effect and it was in these states that the private foetal sex determination clinics were first established. More shocking still is the fact that this trend is far stronger in urban than rural areas and among the literate than the illiterate, exploding the myth that education and affluence will help to eradicate gender bias. (Even some tribal areas are much better off than cities as far as sex ratios are concerned). Recent government figures show that in high income South Delhi, the sex ratio is 762 females per 1000 males, while in Mumbai’s Borivalli it’s 728 females per 1000 males.
Though the government enacted the Pre- Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act in 1994, which came into force in 1996, situation far from improving, further worsened. A concomitant rise in the number of private clinics providing sex determination test was seen as a result of banning such practices in government hospitals, with even farmers with marginal incomes willing to take loans at 25 percent interest to have the test. Before the Act was amended in 2003, the technology had already reached even in areas which do not have potable water. As a result, the sex ratio recorded in India in 2001 in children was 927 females per 1000 males as compared to 1961 when it is 976 females per 1000 males. UN reports reveal that between 35 to 40 million girls missing from the Indian population.
It is appalling to see in what is still considered one of the noblest professions, doctors participating in this illegal and inhuman money making venture, completely ignoring their ethical duties. Often the result such detections is subtly conveyed with a nod for a boy or a shake of the head or a grimace for a girl, as if she is an incoming catastrophe. It is ironic to see that maximum sex- selective abortions are performed by lady doctors. Even more disheartening is the fact that women agree (whatever may be their justification) to undergo a sex – selective abortion knowingly contributing to the depletion of their own sex.
The hypocrisy of Indian society is pellucid here as on one hand it worships Durga, Kalli and Lakshmi, on the other it doesn’t hesitate to kill what is believed to be their manifestation.
While an abortion is understandable for medical reasons or keeping a small family, it’s absolutely incomprehensible that a child is aborted only because it is a girl. Though female foeticide had entered the lexicon of feminist struggle long back yet the fight still continues. The whole concept of women empowerment is subject to a brutal shock with ghastly cases like polythene bags stuffed with female foetuses being found in Bhubhaneshwar, Orissa. Instances of villages in Rajasthan with not a single girl present, throws glaring light at the horrid fact which also painfully comes across in movies like Matrubhoomi-A Nation Without Women.
It is a subject of grave concern especially when there is a vocal and influential school of thought that justifies selective abortion of female foetuses. Though the matter has been brought up now and then, this issue needs to be taken more seriously than ever and it needs be rewritten and revocalized until it the dogmatic mindset of people undergoes a change.
Apart from the looking into factors responsible for female foeticide like low status of women in society and dowry, one also needs to be vigilant and brave enough to speak against this evil if one witnesses or comes to know about it. Also a more scientific approach towards things is required and the forestalling religious and cultural beliefs need to be replaced by rationality.
No society can survive without women. The practice of female foeticide not only is a violation of human rights but also puts a question mark on our integrity as humans. It stagnates our growth as people. If the patriarchal society has made the rules then they can surely be reworked. Why do we need to have different attitudes towards men and women? Why can’t they just be treated as individuals and valued for their worth?
Her every unformed limb is battling for her rights, her every stifled cry begs for freedom and her every unsung death mourns the dilatory demise of humanity.
Apoorva Gupta
[Image source:http://www.calicutnet.com/articles/rajesh/foeticide.jpg]
Hi all, i wanted to share a small story, which happened in my neighborhood, my neighbour husband and wife both are well educated and they work in a MNC, the girls sister became conceive for the second time, (first one was a girl child) and she gave birth to a girl child once again, u know what did my neighbor tell, she told that if we would have known it was a girl, we would have killed her in the stomach itself, after a year, once again the girls sister became conceive, then they went for a scanning in doddabalapur some diagnostic centre (bangalore rural) and paid 5000 rs to know what baby it was, once they got confirm that it is a boy, they continued. now she gave birth to a boy baby.
coming back to my neighbor, she became conceive for the first time, since she couldnt tolerate the pain, they went and scanned and found it was girl baby, immediately they obortioned it. once again she bacame pregnant, they went and checked in the diagnostic centre (doddabalapur) they found it is a boy baby, now also she is not able to tolerate the pain, but still she is continuing with the pregnany,
i dont understand being educating, y people do this kind of things
i am not able to find the name of the diagnostic centre, if i find the name, i will surely go there and sue them
Hello friends Am forwarding you the online petition
created by my friends from I.I.H.M.R Delhi. Please sign the petition and also spread the word forward to Help Guddu and Pari Live and Smile…
Thanks
Hello friends,
Greetings of the day. Now to continue the fight against the injustice for Mitu and for the lovely twin sisters guddu and pari, I want to make this fight online. I have created 4 online petitions for the same fight against injustice and to continue our signature campaign all over INDIA. As all of you are going to yours home place, so we have decided to continue our campaign online. Just click on the links below and sign out the petition.
Please forward this links to your friends also and ask for there signatures. You know the case very well. The updates for this campaign would be provided to you time by time.
http://www.my-cause.com/support_a_mothers_fight_for_her_daughters_lives
http://www.my-cause.com/cause/right_for_girl_children_to_live_1
http://www.indianvoice.org/help-the-mother-to-fight-petition.html
http://www.indianvoice.org/stop-female-foeticide-petition.html
Together we can and together we will make a difference.
With regards
Anindam Basu
Also Please watch the movie on gender violence created by mediastrom on this link –
http://mediastorm.com/publication/undesired
http://mediastorm.com/pub/projects/undesired/
it is just a curse to the society and cruel to the humans. and one important thing is that female is the cause of origin of a new life to make this country alive.
Mrs. Kiran Walia
Honorable minister for health and family welfare
New Delhi-58
Respected madam,
I had filed a complaint against my husband and in laws for cheating me into
a sex determination test during my pregnancy. The enquiry was conducted by
C.D.M.O (North West) and later by the team of doctors at Maulana Azad
Medical College, New Delhi
I would like to point out certain points
I am one of the first complainant in whole of India under the act
The enquiry done by C.D.M.O (North-West) has found that no form F was filled
when the ultrasound was done on me by radiologist at Jaipur Golden Hospital,
New Delhi. The law is very very clear on this aspect and says that- Person
conducting ultrasonography on a pregnant women shall keep complete record
thereof in the clinic/centre in Form – F and any deficiency or inaccuracy
found therein shall amount to contravention of provisions of section 5 or
section 6 of the Act, unless contrary is proved by the person conducting
such ultrasonography, where section 5 and 6 relates to “5. Written consent
of pregnant woman and prohibition of communicating the sex of fetus” and
“Determination of sex prohibited ”respectively
The enquiry conducted by team of doctors at M.A.M.C has added the facts that
fetal ultrasound was never advised by the gynecologist, but still it was
done.
The enquiry committee at M.A.M.C has also mentioned the fact about the
agreement wherein my husband has agreed that he will in future never force
me for sex determination or sex selective abortion. (copy of agreement
attached)
The handbook on P.C-P.N.D.T act released by Gov. of India very clearly
states- “In some cases women may themselves complain that they were forced
to get the sex of the fetus determined. Then that woman’s statement can be
recorded and she can also be called as a witness to depose about the doctor,
the centre and the family members who forced her to get the test done.” In
other words even if there is no documentary evidence the words of the women
is enough to file a complaint in court.
Despite all these evidences the Appropriate Authorities have stated that
there is no direct/circumstantial evidence of sex determination, and the
enquiry committee set up at M.A.M.C states that the Appropriate Authorities
have done a very good and detailed investigation. They are giving a clear
advantage to all the accused and ensuring that the court does not take
cognizance in the case. My husband and in laws are getting advantage in all
the cases because of the above said false lines. Madam, because of these
false lines I am facing a lot of harassment, and because of all this
harassment I may be forced to withdraw my complaints to save my daughters.
If the government does not have power to undo a wrong statement given by its
own personnel, and also government takes no action against them, while the
complaint is again and again saying that she is facing lot of harassment
because of these false statement, that in itself shows the dedication of the
government in fighting the menace of female feticide.
Madam as you probably know, my case has been mentioned even in the “2009
Human Rights Reports: India” released by U.S. department of state (**
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/sca/136087.htm*
*). I have all documentary evidences of the harassment being faced by me
after filling the case. First I was tortured by my husband and in laws, than
by the authorities, and now by judiciary. I have been told very clearly
(albeit verbally) that in case I do not agree to withdraw my complaints, the
Honorable Judge will ensure that I will have to produce my little daughters
(only 4 ½ years old) in every date in the court. If this is the condition of
our government and judiciary, I am troubled beyond words, and to save my
daughters from harassment, may be forced to withdraw my complaint if nothing
is done to rectify the wrong statements given in the enquiry report, quick
justice is ensured.
Thanking you in anticipation
A frustrated mother
Dated-30/3/10
(Dr Mitu Khurana Nee Khosla)
Cc-
1. Smt Pratibha Patil, President of India, Fax No- 011-23917920,
011-23917824
2. Sri Mohammed Hamid Ansari , Vice President Of India, Fax No-
011-23018124, 23012645
3. Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, Fax No- 011-23019334
4. Smt Meira Kumar, Honorable Speaker Lok Sabha , Fax No- 011-23016212
5. Sri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Honorable Minister for Health and Family
Welfare- 011-23062358
6. Sri Veerappa Moily, Honorable Minister for Law and Justice, Fax No-
011-23384241
7. Sri Mukul Wasnik, Honorable Minister for Social Justice and
Empowerment Fax No- 011-23381902
8. Smt Krishna Tirath, Honorable Minister for Women And Child
Development, Fax No- 011-23074054
*http://mitukhurana.wordpress.com/
Dr Mitu Khurana
please visit the web page http://www.mitukhurana.wordpress.com. i need your support in my fight against female foeticide
Eye-opner article, but we can not bann this act of killing innocent baby girl child untill women will become strong enough to take action against this.If a women can fight for her rights why can’t he fight to save of her girl child.if every woman has mindset “i m not less than my husband in any way” then definately she can save her girl child.
men and women both constitute the core of the society and as such both are to be properly treated by the members of the society.Thus, every members of the society must be careful enough to curb the illigal female foeticide…
This is avery informative article, female feoticide is the curse in the society, we as a human beings are trying to control the nature, and not respecting the creation of the Gos, which is the most negactive aspcet of the human nature because our belief system is very strongly dependent on the religious thougths instead of rational thinking and scientific system. Therfore, we need to work together in order to empower women eternally.
nice one,highly informative,influential and an eye opener keep up the good work and voice out 4 the girls’ wails which are not only the first ones when they come out of the womb but also the last ones,unheard.
it is a total lack of implementation of the P.C.P.N.D.T act, which is responsible for the declining sex ratios. mindset change is going to take a long time, but law can be immplemented immidiately, if the authorities are willing.
I have 2 daughters(twins) . my husband and in laws had got the sex determination done by deception. they wanted me to abort them, and when i resisted, they wanted to kill me also. it was my father, who saved me dusring pregnancy, and brought me to his house, where i gave birth, and now am raising my daughters.
I have filed a complaint against the doctor and hospital where sex determination was done.
authorities who are supposed to be checking female foeticide are advising me to withdraw the case nad telling me that wish for a son is something which i should do for my husband, and this is hardly a reason to seperate from my husband.
my expierience has shown thier is a lot of resistance on part of authorities to implement the act banning sex determination. the authorities, doctors, parents are all hand in hand, daughter is killed, who shall complain. we can only write a few articles, are we willing to come to streets to protest. No because none of us feels we are directly involved.