Girls not wanted

A farmer, well past 60, and his wife, 60, wanted a child of their own. Not just any child, a male child who would be heir to their 150 acres...

A farmer, well past 60, and his wife, 60, wanted a child of their own. Not just any child, a male child who would be heir to their 150 acres. Their eldest son 24 is physically and mentally disabled, a daughter 23 has been married off and their youngest son 23 died of brain tumour. So they chose to go for a male child to inherit their land. Medical help was easily available to them at Ludhiana 8212; complete with an ultrasound test confirming that the foetus was male. The couple and the doctors have given jubilant interviews even though the entire exercise was a gross violation of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Regulation and Prevention of Misuse Act.

This story from Punjab not only confirms the prejudice against the female child but also shows that the latest technology is catering to it. Karamjit Kaur and Kehar Singh, the farmer couple in Basti Bhag Singh village in the Ferozepur district of Punjab, are just one illustration but an intriguing one. Kaur is beaming through what is described as aunique pregnancy8217; in which her menstrual cycle was reinduced and fertilisation of a mature egg and a Y-sperm obtained by chromosomal separation to ensure a male child was done in vitro and the embryo was transferred to the uterus to complete the process. Dr. Sumeet and Dr. Sumita Sofat are elated over their success.

Sumita Sofat said in an interview: 8220;We were waiting with our fingers crossed and after two weeks of IVF-embryo transfer the pregnancy test was positive. An ultrasound scan showed a live baby of six weeks gestation.8221; A male baby, mind you.

Baby girls in Punjab are certainly not considered to be made of sugar and spice and all that8217;s nice as female foeticide is assuming alarming proportions in the state. From a tradition of infanticide to foeticide and now choosing the sex of the child through X-Y sperm separation mark the sad story of women in this state with a pronounced feudal culture.

Census figures for nearly a century showed Punjab8217;s overall sex ratio as always less than 900 femalesper 1,000 males, due to female infanticide and female mortality. Advancement in technology and progress in medical science have led to a decline in the number of women and not an increase. The 1991 census shows 888 women per 1,000 men. In comparison, the overall sex ratio of the country is 929 women per 1,000 men. According to the 1991 census, 3 of the 4 Indian districts with the lowest female child ratio are from Punjab. The female sex ratio is 861 in Amritsar district, 863 in Faridkot and 865 in Bathinda.

In the wake of so alarming a situation, Women Against Oppression, a Chandigarh-based voluntary group, has filed a writ with the Human Rights Commission, Punjab, seeking for the strict implementation of the Pre-natal Diagonistic Techniques Regulation and Prevention of Misuse Act, 1994, in the state of Punjab for protecting the female foetuses which are being killed in the womb by misuse of various scientific techniques.

Citing the example of the Basti Bhag Singh couple, Veena Kumari, petitioner tothe Human Rights Commission, Punjab, says: 8220;Advertisements saying Plan your family by X-Y separation of sperms8217; are regularly appearing in the media. These are a violation of the provisions of the Act. In the given cultural contest there will only be a rare case of a couple opting for a female child.8221;

Story continues below this ad

Gender bias is not determined by the prevalent economic status of a region. In a state like Kerala the sex ratio is favourable to women 1,032 while in Punjab, one of the country8217;s most affluent states, it is even below the national average 888. Dr. Alma Ram, a medical activist, says: 8220;The status of women in Punjab is appalling. If the sex ratio keeps declining at this rate, the status of women will deteriorate further.8221;

This was one state where amniocentesis and sonography techniques, which were supposed to be used mainly to detect genetic deformities at the pre-natal stage, became very popular for detection of the sex of a foetus and thereafter extermination of the female foetus through abortions.Clinics where these tests were made available have been flourishing since 1981 and advertising openly.

The Pre-natal Diagonistic Techniques Control and Regulation Bill was was introduced in Parilament in 1991 and passed in 1994. However, in view of the grave situation in Punjab and the urgency it required, the Governor-in -Council followed the Maharashta Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1988 in the state of Punjab and the Punjab Pre-natal Act was passed even before the Central Act was passed.

The Voluntary Health Association of Punjab VHAP has done extensive surveys in the districts of Punjab having a low female child ratio. Manmohan Sharma, executive secretary, VHAP, points out: 8220;Unless a strict implementation of the Act is done, the situation is unlikely to improve. On our level, we are taking up an awareness campaign all over the state.8221;

Story continues below this ad

The Central Act was enforced in Punjab with effect from January 1, 1996, making the Punjab Act of 1994 redundant. According to the Central Act theappropriate authority was to be appointed by the state for effective implementation of the Central Act. But this was done only in December, 1997 when the Director Health Services and Family Welfare, Punjab was appointed the authority.

Yet hoardings proclaiming the X-Y separation stare at you on the highways and in the cities. Advertisements of clinics continue to scream from the newspapers, quot;Plan your family by X-Y separation.quot;