Dr. Sharda Jain
Secretary General
Delhi Gyanecologist Forum

India’s total population on 1st March 2001 stood 1.03 billion persons. With this, India became the second  country in the world, after China, to cross the one billion mark. The population of the country rose by 21.34% between 1991 and 2001. What did not rise, but rather declined shockingly, was the child sex ratio.

The sex ration  at birth is slightly favourable to boys . This means that more boys are born as compared to girls  . This is a natural phenomenon. The sex ratio at birth is usually 950 girls per 1000 boys. The child sex ratio is calculated as number of girls per 1000 boys  in  the 0-6 years age group. In India, however, the 1991 census reported a child sex ratio of 945 girls per 1000 boys, which further declined to 927 during 2001 census. Over the years, this ratio has fallen from 976 in 1961, to 964 in 1971, and 962 in 1981. Experts feel that a stage may soon come when it would become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make up for the “missing girls”. Society  needs to recognize this gravity of gender  discrimination: girls have a right to live just as boys do. Moreover, missing numbers of either sex, and the resulting imbalance, can destroy the social and human fabric as we know it.

The north Indian states of Punjab , Haryana , Chandigargh and Delhi, as well as Gujarat, surpassing  in wealth with the rest of India, were shown to be  the worst  offenders.
In states such as Haryana,Punjab, Delhi  and Gujarat, this ratio has declined to less than 900 girls per 1000 boys. 70 districts in 16 states and Union Territories have recorded a more than 50 point decline in the child sex ratio during the decade 1991- 2001. Fatehgarh Sahib  in Punjab, with 754 females per 1000 males, had the lowest ratio. Kuruskshetra in Haryana was almost as bad, where young females numbering 770 only.
 
Now, some shocking data, relating to Delhi , has been  released in last one year. The  overall sex ratio is 868 females per 1000 males.  Gender ratios in some affluent colonies indicate the continuing preference for sons and bias against girl child. And  this  bias is most  pronounced  in the  urban areas than in rural areas. To cite a few examples, in the south  of the city, urban Defence  Colony’s sex ratio is 883 females to 1000 males, whereas the rural area fares better with 987 females. Similarly, it is 856 to 1000 in elitist Vasant Vihar, as against 887 to 1000 in its rural zone. In West Delhi’s affluent Patel Nagar, the urban ratio is 866:1000, and the rural is 937: 1000. Punjabi Bagh’s ratio is a dismal 840 girls. It is the second worst. Across Yamuna, East Delhi’s Preet Vihar, reaches the  nadir, with 780 girls.

In the Indian context , there is strong preference for sons. This preference  is influenced by many socio-economic and cultural factors, such as the son being responsible for carrying forward the family name and  occupation and performing religious rites at the time of cremation.  The practice of dowry  and daughters being viewed as ‘paraya dhan’ is the biggest reason why sons are preferred to daughters.

Distribution of sex ratios according to their religions in India (2001 census)

In Punjab,  the most culpable with a ratio of 793  to 1000, Sikh granthis were directed to caution their flock against the practice of female foeticide. Jain community  is also worried by falling sex ratio and Jain religious leaders have  been repeatedly asking   to put a restrain in Jain families and self discipline their ‘demand for  son’. Sadhvi Rithambara  and Bapu Ashram have  taken the cause in big way in north.

It is known cause of concern that shortage of brides is felt in Haryana and Punjab. To counter the consequent short fall in the brides in these northern States, human traffickers are supplying girls from poorer States, such  as Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and even the south . 

A new study done by Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI) in hospitalized deliveries in national capital Delhi (2004- 05) shows that sex ratio at birth (SRB) for third child, when both earlier children are females, is shocking 219 girls to every 1000 boys born.  Incase of a second child, if the earlier child was a boy, the SRB is a respectable 959, but the number drops to 542 of the previous child was a girl.

Sex Ratio at Birth by sex of the previous children*

This  study  takes into account 11267 births for the year 2000-2001 collected from one of the public hospital in Delhi.

In the same  study conducted by CMAI shows  that the best SRB of 933 was in cases where both parents had  education upto middle schooler less contrary to popular perception, more educated  parents are not  necessarily less biased against having a girl child. Where both parents had studied upto high school, the SRB was a mere 690. Graduate parents had a  low SRB of 813 while it was even lower at 769 where both parents where post graduate (TOI,15th July 2005).

It is important to know that the  families who get sex determination done  are equal offenders like doctors. They can also be punished under the PNDT Act i.e Rs.50,000 fine and 3 years jail .

However, until social attitudes do not change, the threat of penal action is unlikely to boost the female status. Educated and affluent Indians  are equally if not more averse to the girl child and consider them economic liability. It is a fact that the rising classes in particular, are the biggest  victims in this phenomenon, as weddings become more lavish and demands  for dowry untenable. This has had the unfortunate effect of turning females into a greater liability than before.

Indian Medical Association is concerned that no amount of legislation, penal action or social awareness  and religious leader appeal has been able to  eliminate the practice of female foeticide in India  . On the contrary, the aggressive consumerism, integral to free market economics, has merely boosted it.

Nexus of society, doctors (trained and  quacks ) and modern technology has made it easier to get rid of the girl child . Whereas earlier, infanticide was rampant, as it still is in remote areas of Rajasthan, Bihar and Tamil Nadu where pre-natal diagnostic techniques are   unknown, now female  foeticide is common  in  most places. This is because of the easy availability of ultrasound machines for determining the gender of the foetus, which, if female, can be aborted in the early stages of pregnancy. The mushrooming of sex determination clinics was initially seen in  Punjab, Haryana , Delhi and Gujarat, where the mania of consumerism has spread like a plague, testifies  to the trend on those states . Infact no state is free of female foeticide today, including Kerala. Previously Muslims were not indulging in this heinous crime, but now they have also joined the rat race.

Even the amendment to the Pre –Natal  Diagnostic Techniques  Act, 1994, making sex selection, at the pre-conception   stage, a cognizable offence, has had little impact. The Rs.50,000 fine or prison sentence up to three years for first conviction and later one lac and or 5 years jail are probably not a sufficient deterrent. Moreover it is pathetic to know that  one case has been so punished so far in Haryana and that  too also took 5 years of legal proceedings.

If the Hindu, Jain and Sikh  community seriously wish  to address this problem, they need to strike at its root cause by doing away with Dowry,  that weighs heavily against girl child preference.  They should invest on girl child and make her economically independent. Given opportunity she can do better than boys.

Indian Medical Association appeals for  the help of  civil society, religious leaders and politicians to “save the girl child”.  Doctor’s  Forum Against Female Foeticide have to be formed in each district to strategize how  doctors and  families with  previous girl child can  self discipline themselves and not indulge in killing girl child.