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Gujarati Grooms Pay for Sparse Brides

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AHMEDABAD, INDIA, November 15, 2003: On his 31st birthday, Mitesh

Patel of Rajkot, Gujarat, found his ageing father was worried

because he had not found a suitable bride for his son. The old man

was left with no alternative but to "settle" for a tribal girl, in

the process coughing up a large dowry (bride price, actually), as

per the tribal marriage custom.

 

In Gujarat, where the sex ratio has dropped to 878 girls for

1000 boys, villages are grappling with this new problem. The grooms

are waiting. But, where is the bride?

 

Said Haribhai Adhruk, a village elder, "This trend is becoming

commonplace in our village. It's a fallout of people not wanting

girls, and the sonography machine has played havoc," he says.

 

Experts warn that with social practices like dhoodh-piti (drowning

infant girls in milk, prevalent in Saurashtra), sata-paddhati

(marrying daughters into the family of daughter-in-law) and issues

like domestic violence, gender discrimination and illegal abortions

continuing unabated, there are grave consequences in store for

Gujarat.

 

"The state government has begun confiscating unlicensed sonography

machines and has raided illegal sonography centres. But, it is

society that should realize the problem and bring about a

difference," says Amar Vyas, a social activist in Mehsana, a

district notorious for female feticide.

 

A startling instance of the social complicity was apparent when the

Ahmedabad district health office appealed to people to report cases

of female feticide anonymously. Not a single call was received on

the phone number that was advertised.

 

"If this trend continues, it will create law and order problems with

a rise in domestic violence and infidelity," says social scientist

Achyut Yagnik.

 

Source: Times News Network, courtesy Hindu Press International

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Namaste,

 

It seems to me that this injustice results in a self-correction. When

you kill off the female babies you end up with few brides. When

brides are few and needed a price must be paid.

 

Perhaps they will come to reverence the female again.

 

Blessings,

 

pr

 

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

> AHMEDABAD, INDIA, November 15, 2003: On his 31st birthday, Mitesh

> Patel of Rajkot, Gujarat, found his ageing father was worried

> because he had not found a suitable bride for his son. The old man

> was left with no alternative but to "settle" for a tribal girl, in

> the process coughing up a large dowry (bride price, actually), as

> per the tribal marriage custom.

>

> In Gujarat, where the sex ratio has dropped to 878 girls for

> 1000 boys, villages are grappling with this new problem. The grooms

> are waiting. But, where is the bride?

>

> Said Haribhai Adhruk, a village elder, "This trend is becoming

> commonplace in our village. It's a fallout of people not wanting

> girls, and the sonography machine has played havoc," he says.

>

> Experts warn that with social practices like dhoodh-piti (drowning

> infant girls in milk, prevalent in Saurashtra), sata-paddhati

> (marrying daughters into the family of daughter-in-law) and issues

> like domestic violence, gender discrimination and illegal abortions

> continuing unabated, there are grave consequences in store for

> Gujarat.

>

> "The state government has begun confiscating unlicensed sonography

> machines and has raided illegal sonography centres. But, it is

> society that should realize the problem and bring about a

> difference," says Amar Vyas, a social activist in Mehsana, a

> district notorious for female feticide.

>

> A startling instance of the social complicity was apparent when

the

> Ahmedabad district health office appealed to people to report cases

> of female feticide anonymously. Not a single call was received on

> the phone number that was advertised.

>

> "If this trend continues, it will create law and order problems

with

> a rise in domestic violence and infidelity," says social scientist

> Achyut Yagnik.

>

> Source: Times News Network, courtesy Hindu Press International

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