The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Juvenile sex ratio declining

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Monday, Jul 26, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Juvenile sex ratio declining

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM, JULY 25. The practice of exterminating girl children, between 0-6 years, in the State, particularly in Theni, Salem and Dharmapuri districts, has dismayed social scientists.

Disturbing pointers, derived from data and figures of 2001 census, not only worry activists who have been battling the menace for more than twelve years since the "first official case of infanticide" was reported at Usilampatti in Madurai district, but also prompt the State to redefine its strategy.

"The issue now needs urgent tackling at the block and village level," says Chandra Thanikachalam, secretary, Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW)-Tamil Nadu, which organised a meeting here on "Prevention of Female infanticide and Foeticide".

The Government convened a high-level meeting of officials and instructed the District Collectors to chalk out a plan for a "periodic inter-block analysis of sex ratios (SR) and juvenile sex ratios (JSR)". "But its plea has failed to have the desired effect. Except a few officers, others are yet to oblige," points out a government source.

Alarming trend

A confidential letter from the then Executive Director of Tamil Nadu Women's Development Corporation alerted the Collectors on the "alarming trends in sex ratios," and suggested some urgent measures. Though the sex ratio in the State (number of females per 1000 males) shows an improvement, the dip in juvenile sex ratio (number of girls between 0-6 years per 1000 boys), primary pointer to the prevalence of both foeticide and infanticide, is significant.

Two districts — Dharmapuri (0.45 per cent) and Tuticorin (0.17 per cent) - recorded a fall in sex ratio between 1991 and 2001, while the Nilgiris recorded an increase of 3.23 per cent (from 983 in 1991 to 1015 in 2001), Theni 1.58 per cent and Madurai 1.49 per cent increase. Salem and Namakkal districts registered marginal increases of 0.45 per cent and 0.72 per cent. Salem and Dharmapuri have the dubious distinction of having an SR below 950.

The JSR showed a decline of 0.52 per cent in 2001 since 1991, confirming "the missing of a few thousand girls". As many as twentytwo districts recorded a sharp fall. Even the hitherto "non-infanticide" districts such as Karur (3.34 per cent) and Cuddalore (3.23 per cent) have shown a decline. Salem (3.16 per cent), Dharmapuri (3.02 per cent), Theni (2.31 per cent) and Vellore (2.58 per cent) still remain a fertile ground for female infanticide.

Dharmapuri (878), Salem (826), Namakkal (896) and Theni (893) have recorded a below 900 juvenile sex ratio. Thirteen districts recorded a fall below 950 in 2001, against eight in 1991. "These details clearly indicate that the "eliminators of female infants" are active and have adopted the sly and safe practice of foeticide," says P. Pavalam of the Campaign Against Sex Selective Abortion. The intensity of the foeticide, however, can be gauged only when sex ratio at birth is taken as a health indicator such as IMR and MMR, she says.

The sinister side

Many hospitals, activists claim, make "last minute admissions" and record the cause of death as "dehydration and diarrhoea." The Salem police registered 1,218 cases of female infant deaths as "death due to social causes" in 2000, but only 150 in 2002.

"The fall overtly portrays a rosy picture. But it has a sinister side too. Infanticide is being carried out more scientifically to escape the law," says Mr. A. Ranganathan, convener, Campaign Against Female Infanticide.

With even a literate Kanyakumari recording a drop in the JSR, the popular mode of extermination of female babies is foeticide. Despite the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation) Act 1994, no scan centre, particularly in the recent past, is booked for any violation. "If so, how can you justify the missing of 1.77 lakh girl children (0-6 years) in the State in 10 years' time,'' ask activists.

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