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Journalism of Courage
The average sex ratio among adults as well children in the age group of 0-6 years may have fallen in the 2011 census,but in the tribal hinterland and Maoist-dominated areas of Orissa,there are more women and girls than men and boys.
The provisional results of the 2011 census for Orissa,released on Thursday,have revealed that despite being backward in all parameters of development,the female population in tribal districts such as Malkangiri,Nabrangpur and Rayagada has a distinct edge over their male counterparts.
Rayagada has 1048 women per 1000 men,Gajapati 1042,Kandhamal 1037,Koraput 1031,Nuapada 1020,Nabrangpur 1018,Malkangiri 1016,Mayurbhanj (1005 and Kalahandi 1003.
The general sex ratio in Orissa has also gone up by 6 points from 972 females to 978.
Kendrapara was the only coastal Orissa district to have more women (1006) than men.
Incidentally,Nuapada and Gajapati had been recording more women ever since the census operation started in 1901.
In 2001,we had only six districts that had more than 1000 females for 1000 males,In 2011,we have 10 such districts,mostly tribal and Maoist-affected areas, said Orissa Director of census Bishnupada Sethi.
Interestingly,the sex ratio in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks home district Ganjam,the most populous in Orissa,dived from 998 to 981.
Then again,the ratio in the 0-6 age group is quite bright in the Maoist and tribal areas. Naxal-affected Nabrangpur and Malkangiri led the table with 988 and 979 girls per 1000 boys,respectively.
But the overall ratio in the same age group has gone down considerably,from 953 in 2001 to 934 in 2011.
In Nayagarh district,where dead female foetuses were found in a well in 2007,the sex ratio in the 0-6 age group was worst with 851 girls per 1000 boys.
In comparision,tribal districts such as Gajapati (964),Bolangir (957),Keonjhar (957),Rayagada (952) and Mayurbhanj (952) fared better than their developed counterparts in coastal Orissa.
Demographer and joint director in the State Census office,BB Hota said: In tribal areas,there is a reverse dowry system. So the birth of a girl child is actually a good thing, said Hota.
In 2011,Orissas population stood at 4.19 crore,a rise of 13.97 per cent from 3.68 crore in 2001. This was the slowest decadal growth as people across all sections of society are migrating out in search of livelihood.
