For those who have read one of the recent issues of India today, the topic needs no explaination. For the rest, here is a brief introduction. The cover article of one of the issues of India today addresses the topic of the falling female to male ratios in 'urban' India, mostly in the NCR and Gujarath. Yes the emphasis is on the word 'urban' here. The falling rates are quite alarming. The study has been carefully undertaken with the correct statistics and figures. (I dont have a copy of the magazine to recollect the exact figures). Now how does this affect the 'Indian' psyche and why is that I am so concerned about this alarming rate and why have I titled this blog as 'female infanticide' though there is no actual killing involved.
First, why 'infanticide'. The study undertaken by the magazine says that most of the urban Indian women ( in the age group 23 -35) do not want to give birth to a female child. Now how on earth do they know that they are going to give birth to a female child. Should I say thanks to the 'sex determination tests' of the foetuses. By determining the sex of the unborn child, women undergo abortion to 'remove' the unwanted 'female foetus'. Now this is why I term this as 'infanticide'. If not killing the child after it has been born, these 'women' are 'terminating' them much earlier. Nothing to be surprised at the fact that sex determination of a child before it is born is 'illegal' in this country. The clinics that offer these sex determination tests also offer 'foolproof and healthy' methods of abortion. These factors are leading to what I term as 'premature killing' of the girl child.
What concerns me more is just the fact that the 'urban' women do not want a female child. These women who recieve the best education, work in some of the best organizations still have a craving for a male child. They themselves are not able to remove the stigma attached to womanhood in this country. Women speak about equality, about their safety, about culture and what not. What are all these talks for ? to prove that they are willing to kill a girl who is supposed to be born and keep getting laid until they 'bear' a male child. When there is no law to even recognize that killing a 'female unborn' child or for that matter any child is an offence, of what good are the laws that punish terrorists who commit genocide.
My interpretation of the falling ratio of females to males: If this ratio continues to decline, it will attain such low levels as (2:10 or 3:10 ), just imagine the state of the males. For every 10 males, there will be only 3 females :). Oops such a gross imbalance. The effect on the male psyche will be enormous. This will eventually lead to an increase in 'desire to possess' a woman amongst males (since there are less women and every man has to satisfy his lust for a woman ). This desire might further lead to various crimes against women, molestation, harrasments, rapes. ( This interpretation is a mere possiblilty and the reasoning could be flawed). Now what about women. they will feel so suppressed in a society that has 70% males. The 'divide' between males and females will further grow instead of bieng narrowed down.
When a dumb guy like me can sit and think all these plausibilities, cant the 'urban women' who are supposedly much much more mature, think about the implications of killing a girl child. These women might be taking such drastic steps, owing to the societal difficulties they would have faced in their lives and thinking that their offsprings might also have to go through the same. That is still not a satisfactory explaination and such an explaination can be rather termed as an xcuse.
Somehow, I just hope that this practice of killing these unborn infants stops. Am just reminded of the 'missionaries of charity' , where nuns give life to such unborn infants.
The women can atleast 'deliver' the unwanted child and leave it at the mercy of these nuns.
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