I was shocked beyond words when I saw Dr Mitu Khurana‘s story on ABC. You can read the entire story here.
I was shocked not because this is a story of a woman fighting for her rights to save her twin daughters from her husband and her in-laws. I was shocked because the woman is not one of those countless, helpless women that throng rural India and are subject to unmentionable exploitations every day. The victim here is a doctor, a paediatrician!! Whats even more shocking?? Her monster of a husband is a doctor too!!!!
The story made me angry! And along with it, I was engulfed by immense sadness. I was under a huge misconception that we, as a nation, are progressing. Apparently not! As Dr Mitu pointed out correctly,
With advancement in technology, people are coming up with more advanced ways of killing the girl child.
Not only did her husband and inlaws try poisoning her so as to induce abortion, her mother in law actually threw her 4-month old daughter down the stairs!
The only silver lining in the otherwise devastating story is that all is not lost. We have women who are running orphanages for girl child who are discarded by their family.
In Elizabeth Vargas’ words:
Poor women who cannot afford these services will simply kill or abandon their babies. Some will take their newborn girls to a drop box, usually in the middle of the night, and leave the baby there. One drop box is at a place called the Unique Orphanage in Punjab. We went from the village with no women, to the orphanage with no boys. There are only girls here…60 of them…all cared for by a wonderful woman who will raise each and every one. It is striking to see all those little faces, some two days old, others teenagers, all unwanted by their biological families. They are actually the lucky ones. Their parents didn’t kill them. They now have someone who loves them.
The orphanage is crowded – I counted three, sometimes four girls in each bed — but also immaculate. No one knows their real birth date, so once a year they have one giant birthday party for everyone.
I have always had immense respect for the men in white coats. In a lot of ways, they depict all that is good with our society. They depict technological advancement and man’s victory over the inevitable (or we would like to think). But, when those white coats are put up for sale for a couple of thousand bucks, there is very little nobility left in the ‘noble profession’.
Its so sad when nothing can change the simplest of feeling in a man. I still fail to understand this killing. Have as many kids as you want… but don’t kill a life.
The worst part is that it is growing at an alarming rate… Can we call this progress?
I’m wondering how could some qualified doctor and his family do something like this.?? This world will have no meaning without females,bcoz they are the reason for existence
Its sickening to see doctors do this… God save this world!
The reason for abandoning/killing of a girl child in poor families is DOWRY. I also know some of my colleagues who work are engineers, work in a MNC, had a exposure to international market, but still they proudly say ‘ Shaadi mein dahej to aanaa hi chaahiye ladki se’ .. I was like, then hat’s the value of ur education? .. Really, a very pathetic state we are in .. As a society, we need a big change – may be a revolution .. But who will first tie the bell on cat’s neck ??
Otherwise, I dont see any reason why a parent does not want a girl child .. Dowry or no dowry – I want my first child as a baby girl
Thats what Dr Mitu pointed out, its not like people dont want girls… they just dont want them in their house!!
seriously!!! education doesn’t guarantee compassion, sensibility and love.
To support Dr Mitu Khurana, Please sign this petition and spread the word.
http://gendercide.epetitions.net/
I have signed the petition. Good luck!
Spare a thought for the victims of the demons who still practice the ‘dowry’ mentality on those who are born several generations out of their ‘desi’ countries! Rampant inhumanity exists on the other side too!!
Hi, came over from IHM’s blog.
This issue is very close to my heart. It is a fact that every instance of female foeticide happens with the active collusion of at least one, and sometimes more than one, doctor. It is a crying shame that these doctors, with all the years of education, with all their understanding of what it could lead to, with all their knowledge of medical ethics, choose to commit this crime against the society for a few thousand bucks. They indeed are demons in white.
Thank you for stopping by, Scribblehappy!
It is indeed a shame. It pains me to see these doctors give up on their oath for some extra money.