Neelam Choudhary
A country having an interesting story to narrate, doing better than those once ranked on the top in terms of many indicators and projected a silver lining should peal the bells of victory .But all is not well. Amid shining India, some dark spots are too prominent to be ignored. Take the case of child sex ratio (CSR) or the no. of females per 1000 males in 0-6 age group. Despite being one of the lowest in the world, the general sex ratio has risen from 927 (1991) to 943 in 2011(fig. for 2001 was 933). So it is not the no. 1 problem. However, figures are alarming for CSR. Starting with 1961, while the CSR improved marginally from 960 to 964 in 1971, it decreased to 962 in 1971. Thereafter i.e. since 1981, it has been showing a significant decline. The figures for 2001 and 2011 are 927 and 914 respectively (Census figures). The figures available show that CSR was 1010 in 1941.The WHO in its report has stated that the normal ratio should be 102-106 males per 100 females (as per international standards), which when expressed in Indian terms is 943-980 females per 1000 males.
The recent figures show that about 50% of the states have sex ratio below national average. About eight states have child sex ratio below 900. J&K (in which CSR reduced from 941 in 2001 to 862 in 2011) not only figures among those few states, it even lists among the three states having shown a declining trend since the last census. There may be many socio-cultural and economic factors to which we attribute this phenomenon, with some strongly arguing as the availability of technology to determine the sex before birth having catalyzed it. This is a multidimensional issue, as economic cultural or technological factors alone can’t explain the phenomenon. For example, for many years it was believed that a girl child is a double burden, as the girl has not only to be taken care of, but even the dowry has to be arranged. The child sex ratio being the lowest among some of the most prosperous states like Punjab and Haryana, however, doesn’t substantiate it. Likewise, rural areas are better performers in this regard.
The child sex ratio being on the wane might have splashed across front pages of few newspapers, when this secret was thrown open to everyone through census figures. It was stressed by the current Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a new addition to the arguably long list of programs meant towards gender equality. The government has also identified 100 gender critical districts.
So the buck stops here. Experts have been scratching their heads to identify the factors contributing towards the so called ‘daughter deficit’ or ‘missing girls’ world. One of them is, whether we agree or not, our pro-son and regressive mindset which doesn’t let us welcome at least the second girl child. Reasons are known to us. But the way, daughters are doing wonders unmatched by sons means that we are upping the ante by not letting girls be born. They prove that once given a chance, they can go to any extent to bring proud moments for the nation. The recent Olympic and Paralympics speak volumes of it.
All of us are not to be blamed. Daughters are very dear to parents. But if all is well, it should not be a cause of concern. Roads of prosperity radiate from the roundabout of efforts put by us. The declining child sex ratio needs reversal. The mother’s womb, the safest place for the unborn child should be no more a diabolical place for her. We have to accept it as the most serious issue of today, as in a recent interview, the World Bank country’s Director in India Onno Ruhl responded to a question ‘what worried him the most about India’ by saying: “There is one development indicator where India is dead last in the world, the sex ratio.” Let’s think about it, as India, on the highway to progress may have to stop at this red signal for many years. That India is one of the countries having the lowest participation of women in work force is another dark spot in ‘India shining’ story.
(The author is Assistant Professor University of Jammu)
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