Female Foeticide

All ‘hue and cry’ is not unjustified. But those who have stupid notions, zero morals, and no ethics will continue finding ways to kill the unwanted female child. At present, there is a law that stops them from determining sex of child before birth. Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 (PNDT), as amended in 2002 prohibits the sex selection of a fetus with a view towards aborting it. The law is in existence for 25 years and still those who want to murder the female foetus are easily doing so.

Even if you implement the PNDT in very strict manner, then these are the people who will find the ways to kill a female child.  We are 10000 year old civilization. We are people with brains and means for both Godly as well as satanic behavior. In olden days, they used just fistful of common salt, or generous dab of Opium for getting rid of unwanted female child. A midwife would use uncut umbilical cord to strangle unwanted child during delivery, on behest of her master. The ways are one too many for those heartless people.

If law manages to see that no brutal acts take place at time of female child birth, then these anti female child parents see that such a girl lives life of hell. She is not fed well, not clothed well, not given proper education. In many cases, she is reduced to unpaid servant, bonded labor. Family makes her feel that she is a liability and totally unwanted.  They may marry her away even before she reaches marriageable age. Then such poor girl starts next phase of her slavery, wherein apart from being bonded labor, she also has to bear sex attacks and bear children.

No Sir, law cannot teach morals and ethics. We have to change society’s mind frame. Western society does not feel that females are in any manner inferior to males. We Indians are in middle. We have sizable section of society that has honestly accepted the fact that both sexes are equal and yet a large percentage of populace thinks otherwise.  The worst case scenario can be seen in Middle East countries.

We have to change our society structure. It cannot be denied that in many communities, female child is really a liability, mainly because of ignorance, because of marriage expenses and dowry, because of social stigma against girl’s education, and because of no acceptance of female as co-worker.  These are humble, not so powerful people. These are the people who come from that stratum of society where they really cannot afford female child. Mind you, even today, those who get caught for being on wrong side of law are these people. Those who have means to manage their wrong doings are doing it any way, and doing it without getting caught. What we need is efforts toward prevention and simultaneous attack on this social cancer.

I cannot help pointing one absurd thought. If these people who are against having female child are allowed to have their way, then in few years time, Male: Female ratio will shift so drastically that future generation of the same people will start praying for female child.

One other observation is why we should need somebody who is selling his TV program to tell us about female feoticide?  With due respect to the cause, I do not think Mr. Khan thinks much about society nor does he really care for unborn female child. He is making his program popular by raking the issues which are safe for him to touch. He can talk against Doctors because they will not throw stones at his car. You will notice that in many episodes to come he will only touch issues which will appeal masses, which will be safe and will not be against powerful people and those who are in high places.