SOCIETY

Judiciary in Punjab steps in to tackle female foeticide

     Chandigarh: The judiciary in Punjab has stepped in to eradicate the menace female foeticide. Recently, a small girl chid was found unconscious by a sweeper. Apparently the child's family had left her to die in a garbage dump. The child has been placed in the care of Pingla Ghar, a home for the homeless in Jalandhar. "If such dishonourable acts happen in states like Punjab and Haryana, it's a shame for Punjabis. One cannot wash away one's sins in a river. One should be aware that the river waters are already polluted. We should be united to curb this crime," said Justice Virender Jain, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Punjab Legal Services Authority recently organised a seminar called `Eradication of Female Foeticide' to tackle the menace. Attended by legal experts and medical practitioners, the seminar stressed on the need for launching a multi-pronged drive to check female foeticide. "If strict action is not taken to prevent female foeticide, then there will be a rise in rape cases, kidnappings and crime against women," said Dr. Paramjeet of the Patiala-based Government Medical College. A skewed sex ratio of 888 women per 1000 men in the state has left the intellectuals and experts worried. There are some couples, however, who believe there should be no discrimination between a boy and a girl child. Tahira the daughter of Ludhiana's Sameer and Karan Kaushal, enjoys every right of a girl. "We may think that the girl will leave her home after marriage, and therefore, we should not have a girl child. Many believe that boys are a helping hand. But, there are many cases where boys have thrown their parents out or sent them to old-age homes. My personal experience tells me that girls are more emotionally attached to their parents than boys," Sameer said. The year 2007 is being observed as the 'Awareness Year of Female Foeticide'. This shows that efforts are in full swing to bring a change in the mindset of people and the society and the world at large.
-May 24, 2007    

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