“Spare me tonight, dear papa and kill me tomorrow”, pleaded the baby girl to her father.
“Why tomorrow and not tonight, babe?” spoke the cruel father bent upon snuffing an innocent life.
“Let me live at least one more day dear papa”, sobbed the poor baby.
“An impossible and absurd idea”, retorted the murderous father and added, “I will kill you tonight and weep for you tomorrow!”

And thus the plot thickens. The tragic drama of the girl child being routinely pushed in to the dark abyss of death has reached a horrifying climax while the nation watches in paralyzed silence. It is highly alarming that such acts of sub-human cruelty are on a steady rise in India. The problem has assumed a national dimension to the utter shame of our people and all that passes for civilization and culture and human rights of the girl child. Throwing all values and norms of human behavior to fore winds, Indian parents are getting their girl children eliminated either through infanticide or foeticide with the aid of advances made by medical science. The prevalent mindset which views the girl child as a financial and social burden is fanning this destructive discrimination and undue preference for the male child. Other factors responsible for the oppression of the girl child are property rights and dowry et cetera. Regarding dowry there goes a saying: “Abort your daughter now and save dowry later”! Such a prejudiced attack on the girl child has made India a perilous place for her and apart from premeditated killings they also succumb to malnutrition and diseases in large numbers.

As per the United Nation’s Department of Economics and social affairs, India is the most is the most dangerous place for a girl child. Data released in 2012 on the Indian girl child, aged between 1-5 years states that 75% Indian girl children are more likely to die than an Indian boy. India exemplifies the worst gender differential child mortality for any country in the world.

All these developments are adversely affecting the child sex ratio (CSR) in the nation. It shows a consistent falling trend. For example, it stood 962 (per 1000) in 1981, 945 in 1991, 927 in 2001 and 914 in 2011 as per census results. Reality however is much worse than as shown by statistics. Be that as it be, CSR has been constantly dipping in 27 Indian states and Union Territories.

Attempts are being made both at the government and the public level, to right this wrong. But the success rate is not very encouraging. Success will remain minimal until women are empowered to become makers of their own destiny in alliance with larger well- intentioned sections of the society. Above all, education & awareness must be heightened & intensified and a combined democratic, multi-pronged movement be launched.