“History repeats itself, that’s one of the things that’s wrong with history.” -Clarence Darrow

Data About Female Foeticide in J&K State Points to Alarming Trend in the Jammu Region

by | Mar 14, 2009 | Blog

The data is clear – compared to Jammu region, Kashmir valley loves its daughters but needs to do more

Jammu: Beset with male child syndrome, the dwindling sex ratio in the state yet again reflected “criminal psyche” of people towards fair-gender in the male-dominant society.

Fresh survey by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics for 2008 in all 22 districts of the state has once again brought to the fore a grim picture.

Among 22 districts, Udhampur has attained the dubious distinction of having lowest sex ratio of 880 females per 1,000 males in sharp contrast to 894/1000 males in 2006.

Likewise, 2008 statistics of Rajouri (895), Reasi (899), Samba (896), Jammu (889), Kathua (913), Kishtwar (931), Poonch (920), Doda (933), Leh (939), Kargil (916), Anantnag (944), Bandipora (948), Baramulla (939), Budgam (930), Ganderbal (948), Kulgam (908), Kupwara (930), Pulwama (933), Shopian (948), Srinagar (940) and Ramban (973) also reflect mindset of the people.

In 2006 Rajouri had 894, Jammu 878, Kathua 911, Poonch 906, Doda 943, Leh 951, Kargil 939, Anantnag 933, Baramulla 932, Budgam 923, Kupwara 917, Pulwama 961 and Srinagar had 950 females per 1000 males.

Official sources told The Tribune that female foeticide has gained alarming proportion in five districts of Jammu, Reasi, Rajouri, Samba and Udhampur where sex ratio is not even 900 females per 1,000 males.

A senior doctor of Government Medical College said: “Female foeticide has been going on in private nursing homes and the government has utterly failed to check the crime.”

“One girl child out of seven female babies is being eliminated inside mother’s womb in Jammu district alone,” he said, adding that if the trend continues, districts like Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi in particular would witness a steep decline in sex ratio in the coming years. Time has come for the administration to tighten noose around disgruntled radiologists, and society at large, too, should wake up to the unethical practice, he said.

A retired official of the Directorate of Health Services candidly admitted that the state government has failed to implement the J&K Preconception and Prenatal Sex Selection/Determination (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 2002 in letter and spirit.

Though sex determination still goes on in various clinics, the government alone could not be held responsible for this malady, he said, adding that the people themselves were responsible for promoting the unethical practice. To get rid of the menace, the society had to be awakened and NGOs and schools should contribute their bit in educating the people and the children, he said.

(The Tribune)