'Disappearing Daughters': The Killing of Indian Girls

Alarm bells are sounded as the number of female feticides and newborn girls left to die grows in India.Cardinal Gracias discusses the role of the Church and his hopes for a better future.

NEW DELHI (AsiaNews) - ActionAid, a charity and NGO, and Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) have sounded the alarm bells.

In a report titled Disappearing Daughters the two groups have found that in India baby girls are being disproportionately aborted or neglected and left to die. In one area in the state of Punjab, there are only 300 girls for every 1,000 boys among high cast families, the report claims. The vice president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) reacts to the situation by discussing about what the Church is doing and about his hopes for the future

Findings from areas across five states in north and north-west India reveal that the asymmetrical sex ratio between girls and boys has not only worsened but is accelerating compared to the last national census in 2001. In many rural areas tradition dictates preference for sons, who work in the fields, over daughters.

The report shows that girls are less likely to survive in areas with more limited access to public health services and modern ultrasound technology. However, the deliberate neglect of girls, including allowing the umbilical cord to become infected, is used as a way to dispose of unwanted daughters.

The rejection of daughters rises proportionately to the number of offspring. In all areas surveyed, there is a decline in the proportion of girls among second-born children; even more so among third-born, a sign of frequent selective abortion, often with the illegal but well-paid assistance of doctors and nurses.

It is estimated that around 500,000 female foetuses are currently being aborted every year; 10 million may have been aborted in India over the last two decades.

CBCI Vice President Card Oswald Gracias told AsiaNews that "in India the Catholic Church has been striving selflessly to promote life from conception to its natural end, through our medical centres and nursing homes. In the most rural and remote areas of our country, the Church has been defending life irrespective of caste and creed."

Similarly, "Christian medical institutions train our medical, nursing and paramedical students to respect and value every life, and to always foster and uphold the sacredness and dignity of human life," he added. "People have to be aware that this is a violation of human rights both against women and unborn baby girls."

Against the evil of abortion the Church "runs orphanages where infants can be taken care of and brought up with tender loving care," advocating "adoption" instead.

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"I am hopeful that gradually the mindset of the people of India will change. India is making tremendous progress and I am hopeful that this will trickle down, empowering women and girls. Things are not so bleak."

"It is very sad and unfortunate that the wealthy are also parties to this tragedy. This goes to show that although people may be wealthy when it comes to money, they may not be rich when it comes to spiritual values."

"Discrimination against girls stems from the traditionally low value attached to females in Indian society. Girls are seen as a burden on the family, requiring a large dowry, which many poor families cannot afford. Females are generally the last to be educated or get medical treatment."

"Through its social and educational missions the Church in India empowers girls by providing them education and vocational training in order to enable her to live with dignity."