49
Aswathi
Kozhikode
Female
Infanticide
K
illing infant girls is something most of
us cannot imagine. As shocking and
disturbing as this behavior is, however,
we must look at in within its cultural
context. In some Indian communities there is
a preference for male children. This attitude
is rooted in a complex set of social, cultural
and economic factors. Daughters will require a
sizable financial dowry in order to marry. This
dowry system, lack of economic independence,
social customs and traditions has relegated the
female to a secondary status. Because daughters
leave their families of origin, they are often
regarded as temporary members of their families
and a drain on its wealth. There is an expression
in India that -bringing up a daughter is like
watering a neighbor‘s plant-. In most of such
cases of female infanticide the culprit is the
mother of the infant. It‘s reported that female
infanticide existed in India since 1789 in several
districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The female
infanticide was so widespread in jadeja (Rajput)
families of Kutch and saurashtra, that only five
of such families were found who had not killed
their newborn daughters.
Poverty, ignorance of family planning,
cost of dowry etc have been reported as the
possible causes for this crime. Females were
not only aborted before birth but also victims
of inequality after birth. Girls are discriminated
against with regard to nutrition, medical
attention and general care as compared to male
children. Son preference has become daughter
hatred in recent decades due to widespread
legalization of this form of violence against
newborn female infants.
sI kXy-_m_p
I®qÀ
Pohn-X-
Xmw-_qew
apdp-¡n-¯p-¸nb NmdnÂ
Rm³ I|p,
Fgp-¶p-\n¡p¶
]pI-bn-e-¯|v
Acªp Xocm¯
Ce-¸-¨-¯p-|v.
\qdp-sXm-« shän-ebpw
\pdp-¡nb AS-bv¡bpw
\qsäm-¶m-hÀ¯n
Nh-¨-t¸mÄ I|p.,
]¨-Po-hn-X-¯nsâ Nph-¸v.
Iq«n-¡n-gn-¨v
sh«n-¯n-cp¯n
hSp-¡-fp-W-§m¯
Pohn-X-¯nsâ
]n¶nb Xmfp-Ifn \n¶v
]ng¨ IW-¡p-IÄ
Igp-¯n ssIap-dp-¡p-¶p,
Hcp-Ñzm-k-¯n-\mbn
IpXdn Rm³ Imdn-¯p-¸n-bXv
tNmc-tbm,
PohnXw NXª
Nmtdm?! !
=