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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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Infanticide: from rural to urban areas

R. Ilangovan

New development worrying social scientists
Two infant boys found abandoned at various places in the city

SALEM: The despicable act of abandoning the new-born, particularly girls, live or dead, in dustbins and drains in Salem city has, of late, shifted from rural areas to urban pockets. At a time when rural women in Salem district, one among the six notorious districts having the dubious record of a dismal sex ratio at birth (SRB), have started realising the value of the girl child, the new development is worrying social scientists.

That this practice of cruelty has shifted to the urban areas in the district has been endorsed by District Collector N. Mathivanan himself. “Our attention has been drawn to the recent incidents of foeticide, infanticide and frequent neglect of girl children in Salem city,” Mr. Mathivanan said.

Five days ago, a seven-day-old girl was found crying in the thorny bushes inside an unused well in Kondalampatti, which is a city suburb. A week ago a healthy five-month-old female baby was found abandoned near a drainage channel at Ayothiapattinam, another city suburb. On the same day a seven-year-old-boy, a polio victim, was abandoned by his yet to be identified mother in the Government Medical College Hospital here.

Four more, including two infant boys, were found abandoned at various places in the city, who subsequently died in the hospital. All these inhuman acts have taken place in the past 20 days and within urban limits.

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