Deepshikha Shanker

Let there be light....

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

posted by Deepshikha at 4:12 PM

Two incidents have cumulated in this write up. One is the mention of international attention the issue of female foeticide is getting according to an aquaintance and second the rally organised by my father and his unit for the same cause. The second one had a deeper impact because I was quite against the hungama being created for the issue. I have various reasons for that.
In first place, a foetus is a foetus and not a person so its not a "murder" and applies just as much to all the foetuses. Abortion is a legal procedure and in truth a feminist right. The law forbids sex predetermination on the basis of which the female foetuses a not allowed to be "murdered"(and i have deep regard for that) with all the parties liable including doctors or the abortionists.. However, imagine the despration of a couple who would go to the extreames of finding a doctor to do this test and then paying an astronomical sum just so they are not stuck with a girl child.

Any child born to such a family just because of legal pressures is bound to be abused and harassed. The law can ensure female children to be born but they can't force their families to love them and not reduce them to mere house hold servants. It is here I disagree with the statenment made by Renuka Chawdhary, (Minister of family welfare). She had mentioned how women should be empowered. You cant "give" freedom and empowerment to people. Female foeticide is just the result of scientific technology that exists, before people simply murdered the female infant, probably still do.. Its an ancient patriachal setup that we are fighting against, an extention of culture and tradition we are so hell bent on preserving. To prevent female foeticide and for parents not WANTING to commit female foeticide, its important to change the mindset of people. Running rallies once a year and making legislations is not enough.

In the state of Haryana, sex ratio is as low as 500 to 1000 boys and the average is 700 to 1000(citations needed). When I walk by, here on the streeets I see a nursing home or hospital in ramshackly premises and I cant help but wonder how many are involved in this barbaric process. Female foeticide is the tip of feminine problems in this country, Just letting a girl child be born is not enough from government side, she needs protection from abuse, harrassment, and deserves education and empowerment which the state is yet to ensure at grassroot levels. Girls need not just be born, they need both love and respect. Its our duty to ensure that!

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At 12:57 AM, Chevar

Yes deepshikha, you are right..Girls need not just be born, they need both love and respect. Its our duty to ensure that! But who are responsible for this.
People like you and me. Cant we stop our relationship till one end. I agree there are many cases after marriage. But there are more cases of foeticide. There you cant calculate males and females.

Its entire nations problems. We have to take initiatives. But when.........?

Can you answer?

At 4:30 PM, Deepshikha

The answer lies in a families like ours where there is no disparity and all are taken equally. I have no brothers and my mother also has no brothers but it was never a cause for abuse and degradation. Change is a slow process and I believe it will come around in due time, till then we just work on creating awareness than employing force by legislation. Education and changes at grassroot level go hand in hand. Because of the awareness campaign, there is 2% rise in female birth rate in Haryana and any small change should be accounted for and taken as positive step..

At 2:41 PM, IJ

I agree with Deepshikha that girls need not be just given birth to, they should be loved and cared for. They should be given equal opportunities for growth and development. And a mere campaign would not ensure that! We need to change the mindset of people to achieve the same.
BUT I strongly disagree with the statement 'that a fetus is not a person'! If you look at the stages of prenatal development, at 2 months development of external and internal organs/structures begin and by the end of 2 months, the heart begins to beat faintly. So the fetus is not merely a 'non living lifeless entity'; it very much has a 'LIFE'. By the third month, the sex of the fetus can be determined!
The debate whether it is ok to abort an unwanted pregnancy continues....and it is very difficult to state who is 'Right' or 'Wrong'....as there are various exceptions (eg terminating an unwanted pregnancy owning to rape, or due to mistake on part of the couple involved). But the fetus is a 'Being' and has a 'Life'. The best judge can only be those who are involved!!

At 2:19 PM, Prashanth M

first time here --
an awareness ad design for this problem -- Click Here

At 4:31 PM, Abha

hi Deepshikha

it is very impressive the way you have written about Female Feoticide which reminds me Of the movie MAtrabahumi which is a nightmare for girls and will be soon true for some.
It is true here we need attidunal change people have to respect and love women. I work in Ngo working against child labour and i have expirienced that changing the way people thinkis difficult but this is the only way we could bring change. i hope people like you could bring these problems in front
Regards
Abha Duggal

At 12:19 PM, Deepshikha

Ira you may be right about technicalities of a foetus being a living being with no right to be "murdered", its difficult to accept that because on that basis, it deserves life with no exception of any one taking it from it, even the mother. But that is not the case, both legitimate and illegitimate foetuses should then have same rights and just be thrown across. In countries like India, the moral problem persists because we see life in stones too but the question will remain to what extent?

Abha, thanks for the visit, hope your NGO strives well...

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