Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: Chairman Legislative Council Amrit Malhotra today asked the Health Minister and members to make it their mission to curb the alarming female foeticide in the State.
“Don’t take it (female foeticide) lightly. Take it your mission to improve the sex ratio by taking all necessary steps to prevent female foeticide. The Health Minister Shabir Ahmad Khan should ensure that the provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act are implemented strictly and violators prosecuted,” Malhotra told the members in the Upper House today after discussion on the issue during Zero Hour.
“You (Health Minister) have to go beyond what you are doing right now. Your success can only be marked when you prosecute violators and seize thousands of machines,” he said.
Earlier, National Conference’s MLC Dr Shehnaz Ganaie sought the discussion on the “grave issue” of female foeticide and the implementation of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act.
“The declining female sex ratio in the State is alarming and shameful for us. It has become a menace in remote areas particularly in Kargil and Leh districts. The current ratio of girls is 880 per 1000 males in the State, while the national ratio of females is 940 against 1000 males,” Dr Ganaie said while initiating discussion.
Ganiae also sought amendments in the “weak” Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act. “Female foeticide is more dangerous than cross border terrorism. A girl is being murdered in her mother’s womb, so we need stringent laws to save her,” she said.
At least 12 members took part in the discussion and echoed similar concerns like Dr Ganaie, but differed with her suggestion of making amendments in the PNDT Act. “The (PNDT) Act needs no amendment, but implementing agencies need to play an effective role to curb female foeticide. The Government should have a multi-pronged strategy,” said NC’s member Bashir Ahmad Veeri.
Opposition People’s Democratic Party chief spokesperson, Nayeem Akhtar, called female foeticide “medical terrorism” saying the doctors in the state have converted medical facilities into medical terrorism.
“Declining female sex ratio will spark a major social crisis in the State. The female ratio has dropped from 941 to 842 females per 1000 male in 10, which is alarming,” Akhtar said.
Akhtar said Samba and Jammu districts are worst affected by this menace with 779 and 759 females per 1000 male, respectively in Jammu division, while Ganderbal (863), Budgam (832) and Srinagar (835) have the highest decline in female sex ratio in Kashmir division.
The PDP member suggested “let a movement begin form the House against dowry because it is the main cause of female foeticide. And whosoever is involved into this crime should be punished”
Congress MLC, G N Monga, said the practice of female feticide was against every religion in the world and steps needed to be taken to stop the menace. “A deterrent punishment should be in place to end the menace,” he said. “It is equivalent to murder.”
Health Minister Shabir Ahmad Khan, while responding to suggestions and loopholes raised in the discussion, said the Government has taken various measures to check the menace of female foeticide and implementation of PNDT Act with full force.
The Minister said in this year only as many as 65 illegal USG machines have been seized and five cases against violators registered against violators.
Other members including Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardi, Narboo Gialchan, Ajat Shatru Singh, Naresh Kumar, Jehangir Hussain Mir, Subash Chander Gupta, Davinder Singh Rana, Ravinder Sharma and Abdul Majid Bhat also participated in the discussion and suggested that Government should dig deep to find the cause of female foeticide and a movement should begin in the state to create awareness among people by involving religious and social organistions.
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