Arresting sex ratio

Sir,
Refer news item’Pilot projects for Jammu, Samba’ DE Aug 21.
The initiative launched by  Women  and Child Development Ministry in association with Panchayats to arrest the decline in sex-ratio is more than welcome. The declining sex ratio in the country is a big concern which needs to be tackled before it assumes ugly dimensions in the country.
The Jammu and Kashmir State too has under severe criticism for skewed sex ratio. No major initiatves have been launched in this state to arrest this ratio.  Though ban has been imposed on clinics indulging in sex determination tests, the results are  not encouraging so far. The  problem lies in our social setup which give preference to male child over girl child.
Unless this thought in the society is changed nothing is going to happen for the better. To achieve tangible results, we need to sensitise society on this social issue. The outlook of society can be changed only when social activists and Governments mobilise their energies and fight for the cause.
Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) can play a key role in this direction. Being aware of local customs and rituals, they can handle this situation more effectively than any other organisation. The Women and Child Development and Panchayati Raj Institutions can compement each others experiences on this front.
Yours etc….
Pawan Kumar
Pir Mitha,  Jammu