Do those killing the girl child in the nip have any right to daughter-in-law? No girl means no mother, and ultimately no life on earth. Our daughters, the angels sent from above to fill our heart with unending love, must be handled with care & grace.
Replete with immense possibilities, at micro level each girl child represents Mother Earth. Radiating immaculate beauty and love in whatever position, she stands by her parents, supporting and guiding them life-long unlike her brother who may fail after marriage. “A girl child who is even a little bit educated is more conscious of family planning, health care and, in turn, her children’s own education” said the known industrialist Azim Premji.
Paradigm shift
In recent decades the Indian mindset has undergone a shift. Now many couples opt for single girl child. However, historically Indian society preferred male issues with the conviction that while the daughter settles in their new home, the son shall sure take befitting care of all family responsibilities and the parents in their old age. In many communities birth of daughter was considered as a liability, rather a curse, as her marriage entailed substantial expenditure that many families could not afford easily. Same perception prevailed when it came to sending children to school. Expenditure on daughters’ education was considered thankless; they were also discriminated in serving meals, clothing and providing other facilities. In turn, women remained largely illiterate, unexposed and consequently disabled to partake in, and contribute to several development activities in mature age. Their proportion in certain sectors like top positions in corporate houses, enterprises and as public representatives still remains low.
In countryside, after reservation of women seats as village sarpanch, at ground level situation has hardly improved because in most such cases the husband of woman de facto sarpanch performs all the functions, even the local people address him as ‘sarpanch’ due to permissiveness of locals.
Admittedly, there is no conscionable justification for marginalising half the human population and depriving the fair sex of the existing facilities and provisions ordained by Nature or governments. One reason for pariah status accorded to women is the assumption that women’s income is but supplementary to main earner’s, particularly in school teaching. Lower wages, less off days; they are also deprived of other benefits and perks available to men in several States. Considering the widespread discrimination against women, on the lines of International Girl Child Day (on 11 October), Ministry of Women & Child Development initiated celebrating National Girl Child Day on 24 January from 2008. The objective is, spreading public awareness about inequities girls face in the country and to recognize the rights of the girl child. It is for the first time in Indian military that Government of India has allowed entry of women in armed forces via prestigious NDA mode.It we mean to let her live a meaningful life she must not be neglected.
Girl child: an angel incarnate
We often ignore that a girl child is a pride and the future of the nation provided given opportunities to grow. Empowering the girl child means empowering future. “A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give” said Laurel Atherton. Yet how apathetic that numerous after sex detection quite many girls continue to be killed in the womb before coming to the world; instances of female infanticide is a cruel reality. We are oblivious to what Gordon B. Hinckley said: “to save a girl child is to save generations”. In fact action against female infanticide is nothing novel. The first Governor-General India Lord William Bentinck had banned female infanticide, then prevailing in western parts of India and declared it as a punishable crime.
To tackle this heinous practice, the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act came into force. It provides for a three years jail term with penalty of up to Rs 50,000. Unfortunately, despite rulings by the apex court and various high courts to give tooth to the law, the courts have shown their reluctance in executing the offenders. India’s overall sex ratio i.e. women per thousand men has been skewed though it improved recently, and rose to 1,000 against 1,020 women as reported in November last year.
As a boost to girl child government at union and States have launched several schemes and the benefits are being taken by the people. These include: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (for preventing selective gender abortion, ensuring infant survival and wellbeing of childhood; Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, a portable scheme; Balika Samridhi Yojana; CBSE Udaan Scheme; National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education. Additionally, States like Rajasthan, Jharkhand Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand have similar schemes for girl child.
Girl child has a fire in her soul and grace in her heart that must be honoured. Let us also bear in mind what Laurel Atherton said: “A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give”. A world without girl is as impossible as a world without water, and blessed are the parents gifted with a girl child.
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This article is based on the one carried by Orissa Post in its edit page on 24 January 2022, the Monday with the heading, ‘Give wings to the girl child’.
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The article has succinctly brought the fact that the girl child is more important than the male child as the male is produced by a female. Yet there is a paradigm shift in the attitude of the people and and they are now readily accepting the only girl child too. Appreciate the way the importance of the girl child is brought home by Shri Harish, well known to touch on topics of social needs. JP Dhaundiyal