CRACKDOWN - Save girl child, appeals PM
Sanchita Sharma
New Delhi: ALL ULTRASOUND machines have to be registered and online disclaimers filled for each test done on a pregnant woman to allow the government to audit the information anytime.
A toll-free number to lodge complaints, a website with the latest information and a Doordarsan serial, Atmaja, on issues of gender discrimination, dowry and domestic violence to raise social consciousness are some of the latest measures being implemented by the Centre. Those going in for sex determination tests are under stricter watch than ever before.
Inaugurating the national conference part of the 'Save the Girl Child' campaign, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called upon the "prosperous and the educated" to help stop unethical medical practitioners and unscrupulous parents from committing female foeticide, which has led to 50 million girls being killed.
"Census figures illustrate that in some of the richer states the problem is most acute. These states include Punjab which had only 798 girls (per 1,000 boys), Haryana 819, Delhi 868 and Gujarat 883 girls in the 2001 Census. Growing economic prosperity and education levels have not led to a corresponding mitigation in this acute problem," he said.
Since the Census registered a sharp fall in sex ratio from 976 girls per 1,000 boys in 1991 to 927 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001, India has been losing about 9 lakh girls a year The Sample Registration System data for 20022004 shows a further decline just 882 girls per 1,000 boys.
"Female illiteracy, obscurantist social practices like child marriage or early marriage, dowry, poor nutritional entitlements, taboos on women in public places make Indian women vulnerable. The patriarchal mindset and preference for male children is compounded by unethical conduct on the part of some medical practitioners," the PM said.
Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss urged doctors and state administrators to help stop sex-selective abortions. "I request the health ministers of all states to give topmost priority to stopping female foeticide and to take measures to reverse the declin- ing child sex ratio."
Interestingly, the PM and the Health Minister have three daughters.
While the to11free number (1800-11-0500) remained unanswered on Monday, the website http://pndt.gov.in gave useful information on how and where to complain. "As of now, the process is complicated and complainants have to write to the 'Appropriate Authority' of the state or district or sub district, the addresses and numbers of who are there on the website. The written complainant is given a receipt. If the AA takes no action within 15 days, the complainant can go to Court," said a ministry official.
Hindustan Times, April 29, 2008
|
