Skewed sex ratio has been an issue the taboo-struck India right since the beginning. The country has been fighting hard to stop female foeticide. While some families are slowly accepting this change, the common perception is not very good. Financial stability makes many Indians yearn to have a boy. Eventually, when a girl gets married, there is an additional cost of dowry. One such town in Maharashtra is Kolhapur, where the female-male ratio was 839:1000 in the 2001 census. Therefore, in 2009 a Save the Baby Girl Campaign was undertaken to fight against illegal sex determination. This week, Reportaaz shows the Laadli 2012 national award-winning episode ‘Kolhapurchya Leki’ on Sunday, 10th February 2013 at 11.30 am and 8.30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.
Launched by the District administration of Kolhapur and Magmun Opus (an IT company) in 2009, the Save the Baby Girl initiative is an attempt to tackle the malpractices of sex-determination and selective abortion. Despite many laws framed to deal with the issue, government agencies have been unable to keep in check the illegal abortions performed by medical practitioners. The project is a two phase application, online submission of records as per PCPNDT act and Silent Observer, a device to be attached to the ultrasound machine that records the video images of the ultrasound. This device makes the doctor and the patient conscious about the sonography being recorded.
Selective abortion has been in existence ever since gender-identiï¬cation became possible through ultrasound technology. It is estimated that the birth of nearly 10 million girls may have been prevented by selective abortions in the past 20 years. The Save the Baby Girl campaign in Kolhapur has acted as light in the dark tunnel, creating a new hope in the lives of many. To watch this moving report by Prajakta Dhulap, tune in to Reportaaz on Sunday, 10th February 2013 at 11.30 am and 8.30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.