Female infanticide. It is foolish to ignore the lowest ratio in the country and/or attribute it to some make-believe factors. I have no qualms in admitting that I have seen an overwhelming desire for a male child in most of my relations. Having a preference either ways is natural. But in our society it goes to an extreme, where people actually express sympathy on a girl child and congratulatory messages on a male child. And in more extreme cases, to not letting the female child take birth. The issue has to be taken up before it causes irreparable damage.
Kapil, low sex-ratio is a huge issue. and damage is already done (more will be reflected in coming years) But I am surprised that most of the time people (be it politicians, ngos, or common folks) relate it to the female-infanticide. You have put it rightly that
female-infanticide is only in some extreme cases. I feel that infanticide is considered to be a taboo in most families [well, can not generalize but yeah i have observed) but desire of having a son is always there.
Last year, i was talking to a friend (married) of mine, regarding raising the girl child and boy child. What she told me was interesting... that raising the boy is more '
expensive'. "You have to buy him a home and save money for him and raise his children.... dowry in case of girl is not even an issue, You spent nearly same money on a marriage whether it is a boy or a girl.... something of that sort." It made perfect sense to me.
So, saying that infanticide occurs because people see girl as a
burden is inappropriate. A boy is equal (or heavier)
burden to his parents!!
Even if there is a blanket ban (in letter and spirit) on gender testing facilities in clinics , it won't eliminate the skewed sex-ratio.
It is no secret that size of a family decreases with increase in its financial condition.
A poor man can afford a big family but a rich man (middle class) can't.
better economy, and expanding middle class--> we have lot of couples who want to have a small family (1 kid or 2 kid maximum) BUT a boy is must!!
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So, it goes-->1 (a): If first child is a
boy: no more kid or may be one more (irrespective of gender).
1 (b): if child is a girl: Another kid is must.
2 (a) If second child is boy. End of the story. No more kid. We can not afford a bigger family.
2 (b): If Girl, we need another kid.
and I believe: after two-three girl kids, this gender-testing clinics come in to picture. But most of damage has occurred already in first two 'steps'. Any subsequent 'step', decreases the probability by factor of 2; hence less and lesser effective in disturbing the girl-boy ratio.
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No wonder, i see in my family/friend circle: One boy+One girl, Two Boy, Only boy, Two girls+ one Boy. (probability in decreasing order). But never see: Only one girl or only two girls. {though know a couple with three kid all girls}.
If given the full data (number of kids, their genders and order in which they were born in individual families in an area), One can actually estimate the number of female-infanticide!! I won't be surprised if it turn out be a very low % of total girl- deficiency.
Yester-generations, bigger families with 5-6 child, statistic took good care of this 'problem'.
Anyhow, this deep rooted 'desire' of a boy (and hence a prejudice, albeit indirect, against girl) is what I believe is the main reason of this abysmal sex-ratio.
Reason: Only reason I see is Patriarchal society. [
and that is the reason why we don't see such skewed ratio in southern states where the population growth is more or less as in haryana and punjab.]
I read somewhere that
this problem in china and northern india had something to do with the myths/ traditions that
son is supposed to salvage the parents in their afterlives,
pitara ne paani dena etc. Seems right to me!!
Wonder what it will take for parents to understand the fact that a girl can take their family name forward!? OR that they are no monarchs whose raaj-paat will go to padosi rajay!!
Girls using their surnames even after marriage (eg. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) could be a step in right direction.
I am really not aware but just want to know.. Are Jats asking for reservation in private job sector also?
Bhaai Yudhvir, I have seen you raising this issue earlier also. {Private sector provide more jobs as compared to govt and hence reservation is not that effective etc.}
Do you really think that Private sector is reservation-immune?
In India, reservation is provided in the educational institutes also. Plus there are very few good institutes and number of applicants is very very large. your argument would have been true if there was no reservation in educational institutes. But that is not the case. You are well aware if one gets in IITs or NITs, very good chances are there for him/her to succeed in life. Anyway, this has already been discussed numerous times.