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The Unwanted One

I was saddened to read this news report yesterday-

When Sitaram and Ramabai had their fourth child, a girl, they did not even want to think of a name for her and started calling her Nakoshi.That’s Marathi for the ‘unwanted one’.

A random survey conducted by the Satara district health department showed 222 girls named Nakoshi in the 0-16 age group.

Hearteningly, there have been efforts to change this distressing mindset of the parents of discriminating against daughters.

The district administration has a programme to educate the parents and to persuade them to rename the girls.

Dr Sudha Kankaria, who is associated with the project, says,“We are also asking couples to take eighth pheras instead of the traditional seven pheras during their wedding ceremony. The eight phera will be an oath they will not discriminate between a boy and a girl.”

6 comments:

Vinod_Sharma said...

Sad to hear such things. But the blame cannot entirely be put on the parents; they are trapped in a social order that treats girls as liabilities and boys as assets -- perhaps a hangover from earlier days when boys meant additional hands on the farm etc and agents to enhance family wealth, prosperity and standing.

The society at large has to change so that girls are seen just as boys are. Wherever such a change has taken place, a girl child is not discriminated against. This phera business is in my opinion the brainwave of some city folk who think poor and rural folks are idiots.

manju said...

The eigth phera does seem just a cosmetic remedy- perhaps they think that the issue will remain in people's minds because of this?

Indyeah said...

Its such a heartbreaking thing to read. To have a name that literally means 'the unwanted one'??

renaming the girls is the first step. I dont know how long it will take to bring about a change in this disgusting mindset but having a name that does not define your parents pathetic mindset is a good start.

Mavin said...

Such changes are slow.

One needs a strong reformer or a religious leader who will mobilise people to frown on such practices.

I know that at one time villagers resisted having toilets attached to their homes. It has taken some concerted effort over decades and today we see some progress.

This is far more serious.

BK Chowla, said...

It is a social problem.We see boys as a ticket to a lottery and girls a liability.
What is most heartening is the fact it is small towns which are getting reformed and taking the initiative.

R. Ramesh said...

when i got my 2nd daughter neighbours took the peda and said: "dont worry next will be son." bull...hum dho hamara dho..

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