After the successful completion of 25 years of the movement against prenatal sex determination test, social activists have decided to run the campaign more forcefully in order to save the girl child.
After the successful completion of 25 years of the movement against prenatal sex determination test, social activists have decided to run the campaign more forcefully in order to save the girl child.
Activists working against female foeticide in the city conducted a brainstorming meeting at the Young Women’s Christian Association in Camp on Friday. They expressed concern over the poor implementation of Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (prohibition of sex selection), (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.
Dr Mohan Deshpande and Lata PM, who started the movement in Mumbai in 1984; senior social activist Vidya Bal and human rights advocate Asim and Rama Sarode attended the programme.
They expressed satisfaction that within two years of an agitation, the Maharashtra government made a law against the prenatal sex test, the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act in 1986. The Union government enforced the PCPNDT Act to prevent female foeticide in 1994. The activists expressed the need for stern implementation of the Act as after its existence doctors involved in illegal practice of sex determination have started following it secretly, and the issue has become grimmer.
Deshpande said, “The scene of doing prenatal sex determination test has changed completely with the advent of new techniques and it is highly difficult to prove the doctor’s guilt in court. While identifying the centres and doctors indulging in such unlawful practices, social activists have to be more vigilant and careful as the conviction rate is very low.”
Dr Anant Phadke said awareness should start from schools and colleges. However, some activists expressed that the movement became complacent after the government made it a law.
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