Female foeticide or killing of unborn baby girl

“ There is no chance for welfare of the world, unless the

condition of woman is improved. A bird cannot fly with only one
wing.”

SWAMI VIVEKANAND

In certain communities of India, the women are forced to live in

social restrictions and orthodox boundaries. In the male chauvinist
society, women are treated as chattel. They are the victim of the cruelty
and atrocities of male partner and also their sarcastic remarks. Many a
times, girls are under nourished, they do not get proper education and
also they are not free to express their feelings, sufferings and
humiliation. Most of the families in India show great passion and
yearning towards the male child, instead of female child because the
sons are considered to be “KUL DEEPAK” of the ‘Vansha’. The
obsession and craving for the male child i.e. son results in killing of the
unborn female foetous in the mother’s womb i.e. abortion, using the
medically advanced diagnostic techniques or immediately after her
birth. In many communities, baby girls are killed immediately after their
birth either by the mother or by the elder women of the family to relive
themselves from the ignominy, humiliation, rejection and sufferings and
observing it as a custom.

Cases of female foeticides are increasing in our country, according

to the estimation made by the UNICEF, about 7000 unborn girls are
aborted every day in India. The sex ratio of India as per the latest
census of 2011 is 933 girls per 1000 boys which is very alarming in
comparison to world’s sex ratio i.e. 1050 girls/1000 boys. Even the
countries like Pakistan, Nigeria and China are far ahead of India. The
sex ratio in India is on decline, which is not a good sign for our country.
It is evident from the data available from the Census that the ratio as
per the 1981 census was 960 girls/1000 boys, in the 1991 census it was
927 girl/1000 boys and in 2001 census it was 933 girls/ 1000 boys. The
sex ratio in some states like Punjab, Haryana , Delhi is below the
national average. The sex ratio in Punjab is 798 girls /1000 boys, in
Haryana it is 819 girls/1000 boys in Delhi it is 868 girls /1000 boys.
Kerala is the only state where sex ratio is favourable to women. The
statistics published by the Census authorities reveal that the ratio in 0-6
age group was 963 as per 2001 census, which is also not a positive sign
for Kerala. This Maculanisation of sex ratio is the direct fall out of the
use of Ultrasound techniques of sex determination and selective
abortion of female foetus.
The new and advanced technologies are very much helpful to
monitor the condition and health of the unborn child. It is also helpful in
diagnosis of any congenital problem of the unborn baby. These
advanced techniques are Ultra sonography, Aminocentesis, Chorian villi
biopsy, Foetoscopy and Material serum analysis. In stead of using these
techniques for the advantage of babies, they are used for the
determination of sex of foetuses. These techniques have become the
terminators of female foetuses, as they are highly sophisticated, simple
and cheap.

The first sex determination clinic was set up in 1975 in Punjab.

Such clinics were proliferated throughout the length and breadth of the
country. Such clinics are mushroomed in urban as well as rural areas.
The illegal sex determination tests are conducted for few hundred
Rupees. According to ‘Saheli’ a Delhi based women’s group “NGO”,
about 78,000 female foetuses were aborted between 1978 and 1982. It
is also reported that about 17,000 sex determination tests were carried
out in Delhi’s clinics during 1987-88.

The main reason behind the foeticide is the craze for son,
economic backwardness, lack of awareness, miserable condition of
women in society, Dowry, Bride burning, poor nourishment and lack of
health care awareness for girl, forced marriage, child marriage,
miserable condition of widows etc. This heinous crime is required to be
stopped, otherwise it will hamper the economic growth and depletion of
human resource of our country by creating imbalance in population.
To check the practice of such social evil Indian Govt. has enacted
Laws:-
1. Pre Natal diagnostic technique (Regulation and
Prevention Act, 1994) :- This Act provides for a written consent by
the pregnant woman for conducting any kind of test or diagnosis of
foetus. Secondly, test for sex determination is completely banned. More
over, it has been made mandatory to display a notice in the clinic that
Pre-natal sex determination test is not conducted here. The clinics had
to maintain records in the prescribed register for each and every test
conducted at the clinic. It also prescribes imposition of heavy penalties
on the doctors and on the Clinic for violation of this Act.
2. Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971:- The act has
been introduced to protect the right of the pregnant woman. According
to this Act, on the physical, mental health and humanitarian grounds,
abortion was legally permissible only in the following circumstances:-
 a) If the mother is likely to be affected physically or mentally
after the birth of the baby.
b) If the baby is likely to be affected by severe congenital
disease after the birth.
c) If a woman or girl, is pregnant as a result of rape.
d) If a mother is not economically and socially sound to foster
the baby.
e) If a woman conceives due to failure of family planning i.e.
failure of contraceptive devices or methods.
Law has vested legal rights to the foetus, such as right of
inheritance to property, to file petition and take legal action against
anyone, it has also the right to take action against administering
harmful medicines and those things which cause damage to the foetus.
As per Articles 299 and 300, legal action can be taken against forced
miscarriage and abandoning infants. Articles 312 and 318 prescribes to
take legal action against foeticide. Govt. has launched many
programmes like BALIKA SAMRUDHI YOJNA, MATRUTVA
SURAKSHA YOJNA etc. to ameliorate the condition of women.

Despite enactment of stringent laws, the practice of such heinous

crime does not appear to have ended, as it is done illegally in a
clandestine manner. No records are kept. Some Doctors also indulge in
such practice for getting few hundred rupees. Therefore, the sex
determination test clinics and nursing homes for abortion of female
foetuses are in abundance every where in India. If we really want to
stop such heinous crime, a nationwide campaign should be organised to
spread awareness among men and women against gender
discrimination and inequities. The root cause of female foeticide is to be
eradicated by providing financial support, by organising programmes for
health awareness of girl child and by implementing the laws and acts
strictly. It should be made mandatory to register all marriages,
pregnancy, birth and death. We should also give up our old rituals and
orthodox thinking which are responsible for the female foeticide and
infanticide.
 Child labour: - A shame of our society

“A nation that cannot look after its children has no right to

dream of growing stature in the world.”

Children are known for their childish and childlike behaviour. They
are innocent in nature and a lump of wet soil which can be moulded in
any shape with proper education, recreation love and care. But instead
of providing them basic education and proper nourishment, care and
love they are being exploited and forced to earn their livelihood at their
tender age. Mostly all developing countries like China, India, Pakistan
etc consist of a force of child labour and a toiling masses of destitute,
deprived and disadvantages child. According to estimation about 50
million child labours are prevailing in our country. Every fourth child of
age group 5-15 is employed and over 20% of the country’s GNP is the
contribution of Child labour.

Almost all fields like agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing,

hunting, plantation, manufacturing, maintenance, construction,
transportation and trade and other industries consist of huge forces of
child labour. In India the pockets where child labours are found
engaged are carpet industries, match-making and fire works industries,
Bidi-making centres, glass and brass-ware making centres, restaurants
and dhabas, diamond and other gem stone policing centres, hosiery
industries, houses as maid, bangles making centres, lock making
centres, marble and stone cutting and idol making centres and also in
some tribal areas. Very often one come across the pathetic sights of
children are root ling in the dumps of garbage for rags, plastics, and
papers. They are also found engaged in various works like patty
vending, shoe-shining, selling news papers at the dangerous road
crossings and dusting vehicles at the road side. They abode either on
the road sides and pavements or in unhygienic and squalid slums.

The principle and parents reason for the child labour is poverty.
The family living in Below Poverty Line level send their children to earn
for livelihood instead of sending them to school. Child labour
economically supports their poor family. Some parents sit idle and send
their child to work and through their earnings they satisfy their
addictions. Rude, strict and arrogant behaviour of teacher and repulsive
method of teaching and social discrimination at village level school spoil
the children resulting in a large number of dropouts from school. These
dropouts are compelled and constrend to work as child labour. Weak
and feeble law and lenient implementation of laws are also responsible
for the child labour.

Many employers prefer child labour because they are meek and
docile in nature even they can be paid less for long hours of working.
Those Children working in very inhuman, unhygienic and health
hazardous conditions became the victims of many severe disease like
asthma, bronchitis’s, tuberculosis, skin diseases, rupture of ear-drum
and also some other lethal diseases at their tender age. Many children
start taking opium, marijuana; country made liquor, tobacco and other
drugs to ward off exhaustion. Also long hours of working and cruelty of
employer disturbed their mind and this made them violent and
aggressive. Thus they revolt and do any crime without any hesitation.
Some absent minded children are also found indulged in doing anti-
social work. Such things are not good for the future of the country.
 For the abolition of child labour many acts and laws have been
passed by the Indian Government, also UNISEF providing aids and funds
to run the programme for the upliftment of destitute and deprived child.
Our Constitution has also provision to stop the growth of child labour.
According to Article No. 14 (it is an enforceable fundamental right ) – no
children below the age of 14 shall be employed to work in any factory or
engaged in any other work which is health hazardous. According to
Article No. 39(e), the tender age of children should not be abused and
citizens should not to force by economic necessity to enter vocations
unsuited to their age and strengths. Article 39 (f) states that children
should be given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy
manner and in conditions of protected against exploitation. Also by
constitution amendment it has been made fundamental rights to every
child and it is made mandatory to every parent to give necessary
primary education to each and every child below the age of 14. For the
safeguards of children’s right many acts have been provided in Factories
Act.(1948), The Mines Act.(1950), The plantation Act.(1951), and also
other Acts. for children. The Govt. passed the Child labour (Prevention
and Regulation) Act. of 1986 to enhance the condition of children and
to check child labour . For the benefit and to ameliorate the condition of
children many comprehensive socio-economic programmes have been
launched by Govt like Integrated Child Development Programme,
National child labour Project, Programme for complete abolition of child
labour etc. Also to reduce the dropouts form school and to uplift their
educational status many programmes like, Mid-day meal programme,
Sarve Siksha Aviyan etc are currently running. Besides this it is our duty
towards our society to spread awareness against the child labour to
eradicate it from its root. If we save our children then our future is safe
otherwise we cannot think to make our country prosperous. By
providing basic necessities to our children we can make a citizen for
future.

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