Missing Girls in India

Author(s): Tulsi Patel

Source: Economic and Political Weekly , Feb. 28 - Mar. 5, 2004, Vol. 39, No. 9 (Feb. 28 -
Mar. 5, 2004), pp. 887-889
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4414696

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

Economic and Political Weekly is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend
access to Economic and Political Weekly

This content downloaded from

65.2.72.85 on Wed, 08 Jun 2022 18:14:27 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
like UCC was communalised by the BJP in which 1,173 persons lost their lives and Since the early 1980s India has wit-
leaders only to create anti-minority feelings 2,272 were injured (unofficially in Gujaratnessed a sharp decline injuvenile sex ratio,
among the Hindus and to damage harmo- alone more than 2000 people were killedi e, in the age group of 0-6. It has become
nious relations between the two communi- critical when it was taken up for literacy
according to private counts). And in the year
ties. Earlier all women organisations were 2003,67 riots took place in which 58 peopleanalysis for 2001 Census data in the first
demanding UCC but once it became were killed and 611 were injured. instance. The decline in girl population
Hindutva agenda it was given up by all How truthful is the claim of the BJP that was striking. Though far from satisfac-
secular women's organisations. no communal violence occurs when it is tory, female-male ratio of 976 for 0-6 year
Moreover, can any party which feels population in India in 1961 has sharply
in power? It is true some of these riots took
proud of its 'Hindutva agenda and pro- place in those states where the BJP wasdeclined to 927 for every 1,000 boys in
claim it publicly be elected to run a secular not in power, but it has overall responsi-
2001. Since the early 1980s, the southern
state? Can the secular constitution be safe states of India that had favourable sex
bility in the country and in most of these
in the hands of a party with the Hindutvariots its family organisations like the RSS/ ratios have also been showing a decline.
agenda? Can India politically shine underVHP/Bajrang Dal were involved. Do statistics convey what they project?
a Hindutva party? Can there be communal Now we have reports from MadhyaWhy and how has this trend of decline in
peace under it? The BJP used to claim thatPradesh that under the BJP chief minister girl child numbers occurred? Has the at-
when it comes to power there is no com- Uma Bharti a RSS pracharak has been titude towards the daughter altered? What
munal riots. What happened in Gujarat appointed as her adviser with cabinet rank. is son preference and has this been height-
under its rule is now history. She has also set up a Hanuman temple in ened in the past few decades? Is the birth
The BJP has been in power since 1999. the courtyard of her chief ministerial of a son the only way to increase parents'
There was not a single year since then it has bungalow. Where will all this end? status in the household as well as in the
not seen communal violence. According to Those who think that India can politi- society? How does one understand the
our research based on newspaper reportscally shine only if secularism remains strong political economy of emotions towards
and other sources a number of riots took
can never accept the NDA rule in which progeny and reproduction? Is there a change
place every year. In 1999,52 riots took placethe BJP is a dominant partner. The fear is in the sex ratio at conception and/or at birth?
in which 43 people were killed and 248that if the BJP wins a majority of its own, Is India applying the racial hygiene strategy
injured. In 2000, 24 riots occurred in whichall steps will be taken to convert India into of Nazi Germany for gender cleansing? Is
91 people were killed and 165 injured. InHindu Rashtra, even if it is not possible the man playing god? What cultural, moral
2001, 27 riots erupted in which 56 werefor them to repeat a Gujarat-like situation and ethical dimensions are at play both at
killed and 158 injured. In 2002,28 commu-throughout the country. Then India will micro and macro levels? What is the role
nal riots were recorded (including Gujarat)never shine again. [Oi1 of sex-determination tests and abortion
technology in this decline? What is the role
of the state? What has been the role of law?

Missing Girls in India

How have laws been passed and imple-
mented? How has the family planning
policy and its two-child norm heightened
the desire for male Children, and how has
Since the early 1980s, India has witnessed a sharp decline in it brought about instrumental rationality?
juvenile sex ratio. But do statistics really convey what they project?Has the higher caste practice of daughter
Have attitudes towards daughters changed or is it that more dis-preference spread to other castes as
cultural, moral and even ethical dimensions are at work at micro well? What positions do women's move-
ments and activists take with regard to
and macro levels? A recent workshop brought together different science and the new technology of repro-
perspectives - the sociological, social anthropological, feminist, duction? Sex ratios have dropped with the
historical and even medical - on the missing girl child in India. spread of technology, and with active, com-
mercially motivated, medical intervention.
TULSI PATEL powerful indicator of the social healthHow
of is new reproductive technology rela-
ted to the widespread social acceptance of
any society. It conveys a great deal about
T he parameter of gender complicates abortion of the female foetus? 'All intel-
the state of gender relations. Economically
numerous explanations and analy- as well as socially advanced countries have ligent people get ultrasound done', says an
ses of social behaviour that may shown a sex ratio favourable to the female, auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) in Punjab.
otherwise hold. The conundrum here per- but in many south and south-east Asian These and related questions were dis-
tains to the statistic of sex ratio: with 3.5 countries this relationship has not beencussed
so at the workshop on 'Missing Girls
crore women in India falling short of the straightforward. Neither education nor in India: Science, Gender Relations, and
expected number in 2001 Census, or 83 affluence have brought about any signifi- the Political Economy of Emotions' held
girls aged 0-6 years for every 1,000 boys cant change in attitudes towards and value at the Department of Sociology, Delhi
of the corresponding age. Sex ratio figures of women. The decline of the sex ratio School of Economics, University of Delhi
are at their lowest and the general agree- from 972 women in India for every 1,000 on October 30-31, 2003. It brought to-
ment is that sex selective abortions are men in 1921 to 933 in 2001 questions thegether perspectives from sociology, social
largely responsible for it. relationship between social development anthropology, gender studies, demogra-
It is widely agreed that sex ratio is and
a sex ratio. phy, history, and medicine.

Economic and Political Weekly February 28, 2004 887

This content downloaded from

65.2.72.85 on Wed, 08 Jun 2022 18:14:27 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 It was worth asking if the unnerving question of agency in the context of the
the traditional escape routes of migration,
juvenile sex ratio figures of the Census of female under-count, and a natural propen-differential care, caution and vigilance in
India (2001) were creating a Frankenstein sity of Indian mothers to give births toraising daughters, in women eagerly ac-
monster out of numbers notwithstanding more boys than in the rest of the world,cessing abortions among the upwardly
the better count of women in the 2001 Agnihotri dispelled the trickle down the-mobile and the urbanising groups, includ-
Census. The availability of state and dis-sis. Interstate and inter-district compari-ing OBCs in their attempts at emulating
trict level sex ratio figures are advanta-sons point to the increasingly unfavourablehigher caste practices. Alpana Sagar's
geous. However, the advantage of higher sex ratios in richer districts and more so dilemma was the ethical position of the
female life expectancy is yet to showin urban areas. This trend poses seriousmedical practitioner when women actively
statistically. The dynamics behind demo-questions to the trickle down and the seek medical help in achieving female
graphic figures constituted a substantial prosperity theses, notwithstanding differ-foeticide. L S Vishwanath's paper revealed
ential calorie consumption, immunisation,colonial records acknowledging the active
part of discussions at the workshop. Is sex
ratio reflective of the social behaviour health care, morbidity and mortality trends. role of communities in female infanticide.
What is son preference and how is it Vibhuti Patel focused on the agency of
towards the female? Jayant Kumar Banthia,
measured? Why are fewer daughters bornfeminists, their rather early warnings,
registrar general and census commissioner
of India, put forth a comparative andto couples as they get more prosperous andalongside an active participation of women
urban, making them the epicenters ofin choosing to abort female foetuses in
historical perspective on the issue. The
decline in sex ratio? Clarity in the meaningMaharashtra.
practice of legitimising pregnancy and birth
within the wedlock and its inverse of of the terms 'son preference' and 'daughter
abandoning babies born outside the wed- dis-preference' can make more fruitful theDebate on Sex Determination
lock were discussed, alongside the insti- use of demographic techniques of mea-
tution of celibacy, which was as high as
surement stressed Rajni Palriwala and Tulsi Why do women go for sex determination
around 30 per cent in Ireland and between Patel. The notion of preference, in turn,tests? Are they to be blamed for it? While
19 to 30 per cent in colonial Malabar. harps back to the notion of a moving socialwomen who have the choice exercise it in
Comparison was also made with Japanese optimum. Asish Bose, based on his study favour of the son and against the daughter,
society with 30 per cent women remaining in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, usedwe have to ask how much choice do these
medical metaphors to argue that demog-
unmarried, thus raising the futuristic ques- women really have? Whether the pressure
tion of social acceptance of sex outside raphers' task was akin to that of a patholo-exerted on women to go for sex determi-
marriage in Indian society. Inter and intragist, and gave a call for sociological,nation tests is to be construed as an ex-
continental comparisons spanned over a
anthropological and historical perspectivesercise in choice, orwould their victimisation
century, again, Japan was taken uptoasbetterdiagnose
a and understand this virus.pose the problem in binary opposite cate-
case where population declined drastically The problem is not merely statistical, butgories, especially when the structural
in the last 130 years but no abnormality also of individual perceptions and nuances.conditions are more grey than either black
in behaviour with respect to the girl childThere are qualitative and sensitive issuesor white. Commitment to arrest the prac-
or female foetus was visible. Both drastic behind this trend that need serious inves- tice and initiative campaigns to address
fertility reduction in Japan and the strik-tigation. gaps in the law, and its enforcement beck-
ingly high abortion rates in Eastern Europe Significant questions were raised regard- oned Sabu George, even while he acknow-
without any change in sex ratio at birthing differences in sex ratios between re- ledged the yet unresolved position on
pose the complex problem of science- gions in the country. Northernisation of choice. Advocacy-induced legislation, such
society relationship. Are Indian culturethe southern states regarding the increas- as PNDT Act 1994 to regulate and monitor
and mindset culprits to blame in leadingingly unfavourable sex ratios is the cause the use of science and technology is one
to such abnormal sex ratios? Is it the active for concern despite the comparatively better example. The general tendency is to
principle to whose tune people dancestatus of southern women. On the other neglect the importance of law and treat it
passively? Is culture a matter of analyticalhand, Keshav C Kaistha pointed out theas a scapegoat. A larger onus was laid on
convenience, which is seen to make peoplesimilarity in sex ratios between the hills
advocacy to redress the impending chaos.
desire a son to obtain a passport to heavenof Garhwal and plains of Punjab despite Commercialisation of the medical pro-
fession as well as of human relations,
and make efforts to kill (sic) a femalevarying marriage, family and kinship
foetus, or be indifferent to her killing? practices, another challenge within the
propelled by large publicity in mass media,
Demographers debated the same datanorthern region. have also played a part making the sex
sets at length as they reached contrasting Views and counter views blaming women determination tests and aborting the female
conclusions with regard to son preference.themselves for precipitating the problem foetus desirable. The situation is all the
While Mari Bhatt argued that son prefer-were debated. The question of women'smore complicated when ultrasound tech-
ence had declined in recent times, Satish agency figured actively in several presen-nology is not bannable, and sex determi-
B Agnihotri concluded quite the contrary.tations. Leela Visaria stated the PNDT Act nation test is not punishable unless it is
For Agnihotri son preference had notand the question of women's choice, whiledone with the intent of aborting a female
declined, rather daughter unwantedness or Luxmi Murthy raised the knotty issues of foetus, proving which is nearly impos-
dislike had increased. In the unfavourable
choice in advocacy against female foeti-sible. The strong medical lobby's rebuff
predisposition to the daughter and hercide. Rachana Johri's paper focused onthat they are providing services highly in
disappearance from the womb, he invoked'mother-love' for daughters and the emo-demand and therefore performing the act
the analogy of 'chakravyuh' that predes-tional tussles mothers of daughters but notof social work, were voiced strongly.
tined death to the foetus. Discounting forsons experienced. Tulsi Patel raised the Alpana Sagar posed the problems of irra-

888 Economic and Political Weekly February 28, 2004

This content downloaded from

65.2.72.85 on Wed, 08 Jun 2022 18:14:27 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
tional behaviour, of moral and ethical giving births to daughters, barring the first of highly qualified professional mothers
dilemmas, and of internally unresolved daughter in some cases. The tendency iswith three and/or four 'daughters only'
and conflicting women's/human rights increasing among the prospering middle borne by them in the early 1970s. Sex
confronted by medical professionals. Ethi- and lower castes in several districts in UP determination test technology was only
cally desirable medical regulation and and MP. These castes, including the OBCs,then emerging on Delhi's horizon and was
reform have taken place only through emulate the higher caste customary prac-by no means popular. Johri dwelt on the
external influence and is not likely to tices (sanskritisation), which clearly worktussles and tensions, rejection and height-
improve through inter-reflection. In the more adversely for women's status in andened emotional stress, especially at the
public health framework, Sagar called for outside the household. Patel asked if a time of birth, marriage, etc, without
structural conditions and policy interven- mother can exercise agency to keepromanticising
her the women's helplessness
tions to create livable and hopeful lives. daughters? What happens to those mothers
or their caring role. These mothers' roller-
Views on the right to abort range from coaster rides over their decision to use sex
who make such a decision? What happens
the religious right and pro-life on the one to girls who survive? Mothers and at times
determination tests and to have daughter(s),
hand to women's rights as human rights other family members too go through and athe consequent short- and long-term
and the pro-choice liberal stand point on conflict within themselves. The exceed- consequences of this decision were dis-
the other. Is it the highest expression of ingly greater care and vigilance in raisingcussed. Whether foeticide is easier and
freedom of choice allowing control over less guilt-ridden than infanticide remains
daughters and in protecting their sexuality,
one's body or is it murder, cruelty and in arranging for grooms, dowry, and life a question. L S Vishwanath's informed
eugenic strategy? The state's population long presentations and gifts, are conducivepaper drawn from archival and other
intervention mediated by its Family Plan- in making girls an avoidable proposition. literature to focus on female infanticide in
ning Programme, especially the emotion- This speaks of 'instrumental rationality'. colonial Gujarat showing circumvention
ally neutral and sanitised representation of The 'humble wife giver's honour' syn- of British interventions for perpetuating
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) drome implies a comparatively low es- family honour and property. This related
Act of 1971 has perhaps heightened an teem, always cautious, extra polite, espe- again with instrumental rationality among
ethic of cost-benefit arithmetic? Was MTP cially until the daughter produces a son thein higher castes, especially the landed
really introduced as a choice at a time when her conjugal family. These are some of the rajputs. The conflation between landed
women in most of the developed nations attributes that constitute a cluster of con- property and female body provided family
of the world had just about achieved the ditions signified by the sympathy a family honour, albeit inversely correlated.
rather conditional right to abort? Was it receives upon the birth of a daughter. Those The question as to whether moderisation
the highest expression of freedom of choice who suffer from it also support it in order is effective in improving women's condi-
and control over one's body or was it to survive and prosper. Among the middle tion remains. Statistical analysis of sex
murder, cruelty, or eugenics? Does not it and upwardly mobile lower castes too, ratios in India over a hundred years ago
have the potential of being used against more so in urban and semi-urban areas, the were seen by Bidyut Mohanty in relation
certain minority communities known for insecurity of and sexual violence on girls with the impact of agriculture, drought and
their disproval of the state's family plan- and women have been progressively ris- famine impacting the incidence of infan-
ning programmes? Though some reserva- ing. Expenses on a girl's upbringing and ticide in Orissa. British famine policy and
tions were expressed about the contribu- education are also on the rise. Providing resilient metabolism of women often
tory role of the family planning measures high professional education involves cost, worked differently to produce favourable
in the use of sex determination tests and which is clearly secondary (though not sex ratios for women. Has this advantage
female foeticide, Reema Bhatia's papercompletely ignored) in the marriage mar- to women evaporated with advancement
gave an ethnographic account of how state ket. Increasingly fewer government jobs in bio-science and medical technology?
health machinery in Punjab is largely gearedin the liberalising Indian economy portend J P S Uberoi raised the question of socio-
to meet family planning targets. It hasgreater stress ahead on institutions of family biology.
adapted itself to suit these requirements and marriage that again influence gender The high costs women have to pay for
through sex determination tests and relations. Several such structural and not conforming to the social expectations
female foeticide in Punjab, notorious foremotional factors are conducive for the coexist with the society's pressure on
the correlation between prosperity andnormalisation of son preference, andthe authoritarian male to prove his mas-
dis-preference for the girl child. pathologisation towards daughter births. culinity. The serious problem of individual
The experiential aspect of sex deter-Thus, accessing the easily available tech- versus society remains. What may be
mination tests and resorting to femalenology for sex selective abortions becomes socially and reasonably advantageous to
foeticide is entangled with structures of acceptable and normal. A M Shah pointed the individual may not be so for the society.
out the numerous ritual and secular occa-
gender relations. The narrative of the every The question of agency and choice in
day and the ceremonial experiences in beingsions when daughter's parents encounter
abortion and rights over one's body remain
a female and in producing - and raising vexed in social research. Thus, the politi-
embarrassments. He also stressed the study
one over the life cycle, provides meaningof religion in constituting gender relations,cally correct term, 'sex selective abortion'
rather than the loaded 'female foeticide'
especially when the larger socio-political
to adverse female sex ratio figures. A cluster
of conditions and pre-existing networksfabric of the society is becoming more and was suggested. Madhav Panda who
continuously produces the daughtermore religious. screened his film 'Atmaja' was also ap-
dispreference syndrome. Tulsi Patel's Whether women with 'daughters only'prised of it. Does modem science offer
ethnography provided the unfavourable,exercised choice consciously and boldly choices or restrict choices for women and
solemn and outright rejection of mothersasked Rachana Johri. She presented casesthe family? [311

Economic and Political Weekly February 28, 2004 889

This content downloaded from

65.2.72.85 on Wed, 08 Jun 2022 18:14:27 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms