Rekha Chowdhary
On the women’s day, it might be pertinent to talk about one of the most disturbing issue which has not got requisite attention in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the issue relating to the decreasing sex ratio. As revealed by the 2011 census, the sex ratio is going in inverse direction, from 892 females per thousand males in 2001, the number went down to 883. With a deficit of 117 women for every thousand men, the state seems to have travelled backwards. In 1901 the sex ratio of the state was recorded at 882. A hundred and ten years later, the sex ratio is 883.  This is really a worrisome situation since it is an indicator that despite a constitution with lofty principles of equality, women continue to face a high level of prejudice.

However, what is actually alarming is the data related to Child sex ratio (CSR). The picture in this count is much more depressing.  The sex ratio of girls up to the age of six in J&K is still lower than the overall sex ratio. For every one thousand male children there are only 859 female children. This means that between the female and male children, there is a gap of 141 female children.

women’s day special

The point that needs to be emphasised is that Child Sex Ratio has worsened between 2001-2011.  In 2001, the Child Sex Ratio for the state was 941. It was much above the national average of 927. However in 2011, while the all India level Child Sex Ratio is recorded at 914, for J&K, it has gone down to 859.  Compared to the Child Sex Ratio of 2001, there has developed a further gap of 82 girls per thousand. In 2001, for every thousand male children, the number of the gap between the male and female children stood at 59 per thousand but now it is 141.
Though there are many other states which are showing negative CSR since 2001, nowhere else the gap between 2001 and 2011 is as large as that of J&K.  As against the increased gap of 82 female children in J&K since 2001, it is a gap of 30 female children in Maharashtra, 26 in Rajasthan, 22 in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand each, 20 in Madhya Pradesh, 19 in Orissa, 18 in Andhra Pradesh, 17 in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in West Bengal, 9 in Bihar and Chattisgarh each, 8 in Assam, 3 in Karnataka and 1 in Kerala.
Meanwhile, the states which recorded quite low and inverse child sex ratio, have shown a definite improvement.  Punjab and Haryana, for instance increased their child sex ratio, since 2001 by 48 and 11 per thousand respectively. In this situation, when even among the traditionally low sex ratio states, there is a positive development; J&K has provided a very different picture. With quite a positive story till 2001, it developed a a very negative story in 2011.
Two districts of J&K falling in lowest 10 districts of India
Situation is so bad for Child sex ratio of the state, that two of its districts fall in the lowest ten districts in all India count – Samba with Child Sex Ratio at 787 and Jammu with Child Sex Ratio at 795 (the lowest being Jhajjar with Child Sex Ratio at 774) Samba stands at fourth from below and Jammu at sixth from below in the all India count.  The figures for both these districts are disturbing. For every 1000 boys, 223 girls are ‘missing’ in Samba and 205 in Jammu.  (Incidentally, both these districts are very high in literacy level)
Though these are the only two districts in the state which have a Child Sex Ratio at less than 800, there are 13 other districts of the state which are placed much below the national average of 914. Anantnag and Badgam  (832 each), Rajouri (837), Pulwama and Kathua (836 eah), Kupwara (854), Ganderbal (863), Baramula (866), Srinagar (869), Kulgam (882). Shupian (883), Udhampur (887), Badipore (893).  It is only Reasi (921), Kishtwar (922), Ramban (931), Doda (932) Leh (944) and Kargil (978) which are placed above the national average.
There are many more trends that are disconcerting in Child Sex Ratio data of 2011 census, especially when placed in the comparison with 2001 figures. Of these the first relates to a uniform pattern of decline of Child Sex Ratio since 2001 in all the 22 districts of the state. Although the range differs with some districts having a very small gap since 2001 Census, there are others which have a very huge gap. For instance the district of Kargil has recorded a minimal increase of gap for female child deficit since 2001 of only 2 children (here from 980 females per thousand in 2001, the number has gone down to 978 in 2011), but there are districts like Pulwama, where the deficit that has increased is of 210 girl children (from 1046 girl children per 1000 male children in 2001, the district has recorded only 846 girl children in 2011)
It is in this sense, that one can see the second disconcerting factor – many districts of the state which had a very positive Child Sex Ratio in 2001 have an inverse growth and have slided to very poor Child Sex Ratio only in a gap of ten years. Six districts of Kashmir valley, namely Pulwama, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Shupian, Badgam and Kulgam in 2001 had recorded a higher ratio of female children as compared to the male children. (Pulwama with a CSR of 1046, , Kupwara with a CSR of 1021, Ganderbal with a CSR of 1014, Shupian with a CSR of 1011, Badgam with a CSR of 1005 and Kulgam with a CSR of 1003). However, all these districts are showing a very negative Child Sex Ratio in 2011( with all of them being placed in the category of CSR that is less than 900.)  The gap that these districts are recording vis-à-vis the 2011 census is very huge:   – 210 for Pulwama, -173 for Badgam,  – 167 for Kupwara,  -151 for Ganderbal,  -128 for Shupian and -121 for Kulgam.
The third disconcerting factor relates to the comparative urban-rural trends.  While one can see some positive trends in the urban Child Sex Ratio (with as many as nine districts showing an increase in CSR since 2001), the rural areas seem to be fast drifting towards poorer Child Sex Ratio. All the twenty two districts, without exception have shown a negative Child Sex Ratio in rural areas in 2011 as compared to 2001.  The situation is very dismal for rural Pulwama where there is a gap of 225 since 2001. Also poorly placed are Badgam, Anantnag, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Shupian.
Regional Variation
In terms of regional variation, one can distinctly place Ladakh. As compared to other districts of the state, Leh and Kargil have higher Child Sex Ratio. While Kargil tops the list with Child Sex Ratio at 978, it is followed by Leh with a Child Sex Ratio at 944. Kargil’s picture on the whole is much better than other districts of the state. Since 2001, it has increased its Child Sex Ratio from 914 to 1029. This is the only one example of the state where the number of girl children is exceeding that of the male children.
Jammu region provides a mixed picture. With two districts of the region, namely Samba and Jammu  falling in the worst ten districts of India, and two more recording very low Child Sex Ratio (Kathua and Rajouri with CSR of 836 and 837 respectively) and two other districts falling within less than 900 Child Sex Ratio category –  it remains in the red zone. However, it is in this region only that four districts of Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar and Reasi have recorded better CSR than in most other districts of the state with the exception, of course of Leh and Kargil.
Kashmir region has already entered into a precarious zone. No district in Kashmir has recorded a Child Sex Ratio above 900. Ironically, all the districts of this region in 2001 had a Child Sex Ratio which was above 900 (Pulwama – 1046. Kupwara-1021,Ganderbal 1014, Shupian 1011, Badgam 1005, Kulgam 1003, Anantnag 977, Bandipore 967, Baramula 961 and Srinagar 928). In ten years’ time, however, the Child Sex Ratio has taken an inverse direction. With all the districts recording a negative Child Sex Ratio since 2001 and at least seven districts recording a huge gap since 2001 ranging from 210 to 121. The districts which have been worst affected include Pulwama, Badgam, Anantnag, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Kulgam, and Shupian. As already stated, most of these districts had a different pattern of CSR and had recorded higher number of girls as compared to that of boys.
(Feedback welcome at rekchowdhary@gmail.com)

Follow our WhatsApp channel