FEMALE FOETICIDE

 The Editor

Times of India.

 

Dear Sir,

           Sub  Report in LANCET on Female Foeticide(T.o.I) under heading National Shame

 

The research reportof team led by Indian born doctor should be eye opener to our policy makers. It is reflective of fact that institution of marriage has been reduced to ruins in our country and the law makers should take a note of it. we all should accept the fact that our education system has not only failed to erradicate the menace of selective abortion of female fetuses, on contrary has contributed in aggrevating the problem further. This paradox will have to be understood in order to understand why the decade old ban could not prevent cold bloded murder of five million girl children since 1994, as quoted in survey. The scientists world over had not slogged to develop a technology to kill innocents who were yet to see the light of day.

 

The issue of female infanticide/foeticide when looked in backdrop of dowry death will reveal the answer to the problem. This peculiar aspect has been ignored at all levels in society, even legally. The eleven year old law is merely paper tiger. On closer examination, the fallacy is in this wonderful law otherwise, the Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques( Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994.

 

Education has not been successful in erradicating the dowry problem and its co-linkage female foeticide/infanticide.

 

If we talk of positive thinking, it is not only the grooms and their families who are getting the education. The brides and their families too are not underprivilaged in any case. Then the question arises why is it that girls are getting little support from their families and are left at the mercy of husbands and their families. The groom's family whole heartedly support in torturing the hapless girl to whom they have brought her into their house. If the girl's family feel that their reputation is at premium and as such are husing up, then they are actually supporting the girls in-laws and as such are main perpetrators of crime. Remaining silent spectator with full knowledge to an act of crime or withholding prior information on henious crime is in itself a crime. By no means are the girls parents ignorant or illiterate! They know it very well that female foeticide/infanticide is a crime in itself. then why cry later. And the concept hold true for dowry related problem too.

 

In both the situations the girls would definetly be telling out to her parents of problem at the first instance. After that it is the silence of her parents on issue which precipitates in crime. The problem of dowry related death and female infanticide/foeticide cannot be curbed unless and until the parents of the girl are made the prime accused. No amount of education or economic independence of girls is going to eradicate this problem. this will merely be an illusion like sun moving around the earth.

 

just as giving alms to beggers has been made offence by law, the government should not hesitate in enacting a legislation where by in event of dowry related crime or female foeticide/infanticide, it is the parents of the girl who should be made prime accused. it is fine to talk of reputation of family etc. as long as one is not getting hurt physically. But the moment these parents become aware that they themselves will be held responsible for crime, this induced fear factor itself will set of chain reaction in curbing dowry menace and female foeticide/infanticide.

 

It's another far reaching implication would be prevention of misuse of provisions of dowry prohibition act, by girls family.

 

Yours truely

vijayanta n chitale