Endangered Gender

STOP KILLING UNBORN DAUGHTERS
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made an emotional plea to save the girl child. The "proud' father of three daughters has urged every citizen to come forward and empower the girl child in all possible ways. As he has rightly pointed out, the empowerment of girl child should begin at home. It is amtter of national shame that the number of girls born in India has been declining. The number of girls for every 1,000 boys slipped nationally to 927 in 2001, from 962 in 1981. Punjab has one of the worst records of only 798 girls. Hryana is marginally better at 819.Even the national Capital registers only 868 girls for every 1000 boys.
The Prime Minister has focused on the mindset issue, which is fundamental cause of this gender problem. There is no doubt that oppressive patruarchy and bias against girls account for the declining sex ratio, making women more vulnerable.Attitudenal change takes time and until that happens, the one tangib;e method of combating this 'inhuman, uncivilised and reprehensible act' is to enforce thr Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act rigorously. We have the law but there has been few convictions under it. With technology becoming cheaper, ultrasound machines, used by unscrupulous doctors and technicians to tell parents the gender of unborn child, are spreading wider. The machines themseleves are not to be blame. When used properly, they help save lives. Hoewever, the misuse of this technology must not be allowed and those responsible for misusing it must know that they can face the full might of the law.
The birth of a daughter is both a victory against prejudice and the beginning of a life-long struggle against negative mindsets. When girls are born, tehy face discrimination - in matters of education, food, security and mucch more. Socities and civilisations are judged by the way they treat their women.We in India must jointly fight to remove the blot of killing our unborn daughters lest we should stand condemned -- in our eyes, and those of the world.
Editorial by H.K.Dua ' The Tribune'