On Daughters’ Day, parents speak about the joy of having a girl child.
For a state that has one of the worst sex ratios in India, there are some within the city who have not only welcomed a girl child but consider them as precious as their sons. This is a welcome change as we celebrate Daughters Day today.
Take the case of Vipin Upadhyay, a businessman who states that life without his daughter would be incomplete. “The happiest moment of my life was when my daughter was born. Having a daughter to love is the biggest gift one can get. Nothing can match the feeling when a big smile appears on her face everytime I pick her up from school,” said Upadhyay. “When I marry I want to have a daughter. I think they are very loving and demonstrative,” said Japan Shah.
A home maker Anjali Parikh said she is surprised by her daughter’s ability to gauge her mood. “She knows when I am down and will do some funny tricks to cheer me up. For me she is a blessing,” said Parikh. More opportunities are now available for women, many of them are financially independent yet the discrimination against daughters continues.
A woman, irrespective of her economic status, is often under pressure to give birth to a male child. “Somehow some people still long for sons but I always wanted just one child and that too a daughter. I always feel that the bond between a daughter and her parent is a lot stronger than that of a son,” said Meenakshi Pancholi, a beautician. She said that though sons take care of their parents, they often fly the nest once they marry. “But if you have a daughter, no matter what, she will always be there for you,” said Pancholi.
But these arguments, it seem have fallen on deaf ears if the skewed sex ratio particularly in the 1-6 year age group is considered. The mushrooming of sex determination clinics, where parents abort female foetuses, leading to an imbalance in the sex ratio was what prompted the government to ban such tests.
“There are still many cases wherein baby girls are not allowed to be born due to the fear that the parents will have to give a big dowry when she gets married. Sex determination tests, though banned, are still carried on to abort a foetus if it is a girl,” said Rupin Setna.
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