Female foeticide: Health dept to raise awareness

LUDHIANA: While girls are being worshipped and people are fasting to please goddesses during Navratras, the declining female-male ratio in the state continues to be a cause for concern. To bridge this gap, health department has come up with the idea of spreading the message to stop female foeticide.
The department would be installing placards for the purpose at major temples in the city.
���Aao Mata Rani Di Mahima Gayiye, Kanjakan di Rakhya di Saun Khayiye..Sankalp Kanya Bhrun Hatya Virudh Maa to Mangiye eh Sabudh Janam Lain da na Khohiye Adhikhar, Kudiyan da kariye Pura Satkar.��� - These lines, written on banners in Punjabi, mean: ���Together we should worship and sing hymns of mother goddess, take oath to stop killing unborn girls and we should ask the goddess to give wisdom to everyone so that girls get due respect.���
The state is facing the problem of female foeticide as its sex ratio is decreasing with every passing day.
According to 2001 census, in the state, there are 876 females for every 1,000 males.
On condition of anonymity one of the staff members of health department said that ���Don���t kill me��� is the silent plea of a girl child for survival and if people practicing female foeticide are able to hear this cry, the problem could definitely be solved and that is the reason why health department had decided to display awareness messages at temples. It has a hope of bringing about a change in mindset.
Satish Sachdeva, district mass media officer, said 100 placards have come from directorate of family planning and welfare officer and would be installed at major temples in the city. He added that apart from temples, such banners would be placed at community centres too.
The campaign is being hailed by social activists. ���It is good that we have such campaigns as this one, in the days of Navratras. It would definitely yield good results. A lot many people visit temples these days and even if some of them read the message, it would have an impact,��� said Neelam Kapoor, a social activist who runs an NGO called Jaago.