Let’s not be murderers of our own flesh and blood

It may sound bizarre but this is a fact that eligible bachelors in Haryana have to travel thousands of kms across the length and breadth of the country to find suitable brides for themselves. The reasons are not far to seek. Skewed sex ratio and penchant for male child have led to atrocious decline in  population of girls in Haryana and Punjab. With ratio of girl child per one thousand male child in Punjab and Haryana being the lowest in the country, boys in  these states have been left with        very little choice to     select brides for them in their home state. As a result of this, eligible bachelors in Haryana can been seen cross-crossing the country in `hunt for a suitable bride.

Skewed Sex Ratio

Haryana and Punjab are not isolated cases which are facing the problem of skewed  sex ratio, in fact this problem has moved beyond the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. If  statistics are taken into account, in India,the number of girls per 1000 boys is declining with each passing decade. From 962 and 945 girls for every 1000 boys in the years 1981 and 1991 respectively, the sex ratio had plummeted to an all time low of 927 girls for 1000 boys in 2001, while as per 2011 census,  the sex ratio had further nosedived to only 914 girls for 1000 boys in 2011. 

Illegal trafficking of women

Skewed sex ratio is one of the major reasons for increasing incidents of crimes against women and girls in our society. As steep decline in the number of girls makes them scarce for the teaming number of males eligible for marriage. As a solution to this issue, illegal trafficking of women has become commonplace in many regions. 

Increase in Rape and Assault

Once women become an endangered species on account of skewed sex ratio, it is only a matter of time before the instances of rape, assault and violence become widespread. The legal system may offer protection, but as is the situation today, many cases might not even surface for fear of isolation and humiliation on the girl’s part.

Preference for male child 

Like many societies around the world, India too is patriarchal in nature. A set hierarchical system prevails in all tiers of the social order. The fanatic obsession with the male sex, though, is one of a kind. Right from the ancient scriptures, one finds instances where men are glowingly praised as the key to continue the family lineage. A girl is forced to undergo multiple pregnancies and (or) abortions, until she fulfills her lifelong goal of being a breeding machine that produces male offspring as per the needs of the family. Sadly, a majority of female feticide cases involve an enthusiastic participation of women, both old and young.

To add fuel to the fire, unethical sex determination and selective abortion of female infants has become a booming US $224 million industry- a dangerous incentive for this transgression to prosper further in the near future. Bringing about changes in the demand for sex determination is a long process and has to be tackled through women’s education and empowerment including the right to property and land rights.

Though the government on its part has laid out plans  to curb female infanticide, female feticide and selective sex abortion, a cohesive and concerted effort by everyone can prove to be the requisite baby step in the right direction. The basic humane consideration to let an innocent child live and see the world she was conceived to grow in, is not too much to ask. Let’s not be murderers of our own flesh and blood. It is about time we raised our voice and took a stand as every child deserves to live !