Female foeticide is still a fairer deal in India. Selection of female foetus and aborting it after prenatal sex determination, thus devoiding them from the very basic right to live before birth is not an issue in India. It’s a fair deal. And why shouldn’t it be? If you have to pay dowry beyond your capacity or they may be burnt alive; as you never know that the one dieing every 93 minutes in the dowry deaths may be your daughter. Long back one poster in Mumbai advertised “Invest only Rs.500 now & save your precious Rs.500,000 lakhs later”. How true? Rs.500 – too smaller an amount to do away with a liability; a future investment. Quite fairer to kill your daughter yourself than to let her be abused or killed by some other.
Someone rightly said “ Aaj har bap ka man bhari hai , jane kal kiski bari hai ??????”
It is scientifically known that women have more resistance to disease and longer life expectancy than men (under normal conditions) across all age groups. This implies that number of women would be more than the number of men. But India registers a sex ratio of 933 per thousand males as per current data available. It is estimated that there would be 47 million more men than women if the same situation persists. As Amartya Sen says “100 million girls are missing across the globe out of which 37 millions are missing in India”.This is an appalling situation. By 2020, there would be 40 million unmarried young men who would not be able to get brides for marriage according to the estimates.
Since ages, the status of women has been low in India. Islam permits polygamy with fewer rights to women. The Ramayana and the Manusmriti represent ideal women as obedient and submissive, subservient to father and the husband. Moreover, Hindu family gives exclusive rights to sons to perform the last rituals of the parents after their death. This is one of the main reasons for the prevailing son preference in India. Dowry is yet one of the biggest reasons, which has never been a custom but is being fuelled by higher level of consumerism and greed. All MTPs, PNDTs and other legislations stand handicapped in front of the strong social system.
This recalls me of a recent incident relating to one of my colleagues at my earlier office. She is a highly qualified, beautiful Punjabi girl. Her Barat returned back for want of dowry in a marriage; despite being a love marriage. The girl was in relationship with the guy for the past two years but the groom side made some demands at the day of marriage which could not be met on time. This is not a story of a small town or village of India, but the most urbanized city, Mumbai.
May I ask the guys why do they need a few lakhs in advance when they have an earning wife to feed them even if they don’t earn? Why the LCD & AC becomes more valuable than a caring wife who would be with you in all your adversity? Some may say it is the parents expectations from the bride side. So may I ask – are you so incapable to meet the demands of your parents. Pity on you guys!!!!
It is said that women are breaking the glass-ceiling, they are sharing equal space with men at every platform. But if it is the whole story then why is this story? Are women still the weaker sections of the society? Will they still be the victim of wrong rituals and customs without their fault?
