Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 30: Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Raman Bhalla, today exhorted upon the civil society to supplement Government’s efforts to combat the menace of child marriage, female foeticide and other social evils prevalent in the society.
The Minister was addressing a large gathering at the inaugural session of staging of Folk Musical Play ‘Doli’ at Government College for Women at Gandhi Nagar auditorium organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL).
The ‘Doli’ musical play written, produced and directed by M L Dogra, in collaboration with Union Ministry of Culture, reflects on the menace of child marriage and female foeticide prevalent in the society. The play was highly appreciated by the jam-packed audience.
Mr. Bhalla underlined the importance of staging such plays in all parts of the State to generate awareness among the masses about social evils through theatre/drama which are still very powerful medium of communication. He urged the artists and cultural organizations to contribute in enriching the cultural heritage of the country and inspiring the younger generation to preserve the composite culture of the nation.
The Minister said social evils are deeply rooted in India and the most shocking fact is that the innovative and high end technologies are brutally killing the girl child. Innovative techniques, like biopsy, ultrasound, scan tests and amniocentesis, devised to detect genetic abnormalities, are highly misused by number of families to detect gender of the unborn child. He said these clinical tests are highly contributing to the rise in genocide of the unborn girl child.
Highlighting the message of the play ‘Doli’, Mr. Dogra said that it reflects the agony of the two conservative families who are bent upon getting their daughter and son married at tender age, ignoring the advice of intellectuals of the society. The marriage turns into a disaster making the life of both bride and groom miserable. Even bride ends her life owing the pangs of pregnancy at childhood after delivery of a dead baby. “The cries of baby girl in womb of the mother act as caution for all of us in the society. ‘Don’t kill me, I will be your helping hand in old age’.
On the occasion, the Minister also released a book ‘Sangeet Savita’ written by Additional Secretary JKACL Savita Bakshi. The book deals with various musical aspects which can help to overcome tension and depression through music therapy.
Later, the Minister attended a public grievances redressal camp in Gandhi Nagar and listened to the problems of the local residents Bhour Camp, Bhour Kothey, Chatha Pind, Babliana, Raipur Satwari, Dharap Panchayat, Sanjay Nagar and Bhour Kullian.
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