Once in our lives, most of us must have heard that a child is a 'gift' from God. Though whatever biology may suggest, it is not an uncommon sight in India to see couples praying to be blessed with a child. But almost half of India, no longer considers it a blessing if that child happens to be a girl. The blessing soon becomes a curse and the 'precious gift' is done away with as soon as possible before extending another demand to God, that of a 'male' child. it is disgusting to know that someone will never feel the thrill of dancing in the first shower of rain, never breathe the air of freedom, will never be the person she could have been, without any fault of hers but only because she was a girl, a woman in the making. Female foeticide is a practice that involves pre-natal sex determination and a subsequent abortion if the sex of the foetus is female. The United Nations says an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India.
The social, cultural and religious fiber of India is pre-dominantly contributing extensively to the secondary status of women. The social structure based on the foundation that the family runs through a male and makes male a precious commodity that needs to be protected and given special status. Another important pillar of the social structure is marriage wherein women are given sub-ordinate status having no say in the running of their life or any control over their body or bodily integrity. Marriage is also considered as a process where by the burden of the father is passed on to the husband for a very high price. The dowry or groom price is so high irrespective of the class structure that generations may have to toil to repay the debts incurred during marriage. All of this has contributed to a low status for women in the society to such an extent that even the birth of a girl child in a family is sought to be avoided. Some of the other reasons are the belief that it is only the son who can perform the last rites, lineage and inheritance runs through the male line, sons will look after parents in old age, men are bread winners etc.
India was the first country to adopt family planning as an official programme to reduce the birthrate. But population of the country is still growing. One of the reasons for the growth of population in India is the desire for a son. Today the sex-determination tests have provided an easy way out to know whether or not a woman will get a son. Each time a woman gets pregnant she can have the sex of the foetus determined and get it aborted if it happens to be a female child. In India the choice is always male child and it is the female only that is unwanted child. Therefore female foeticide is a common practice in a country like India.
In our country a girl is worshiped as a Devi on one hand and denied her existence on the other as if she has no right to live. Time has perhaps come for us to get rid of male chauvinism and treat children as gifts of nature regardless of their gender. We cannot imagine a society in the future where there will be only males and no females. The society will be full of crimes and evils. Only if legislations enacted in this behalf are not sufficient. Orthodox views regarding women need to be changed. Moral education should be given to both girls and boys so that they may understand the difference between right and wrong, justice and injustice and appreciate the values that are essential for human survival in this world. They should also learn to cherish those ideals that enable humans to live with others in peace and harmony, and cooperate with them to make their lives comfortable and meaningful.
Youth, what exactly does it mean? Some one said it once that the youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity and prosperity of that nation. And I think no one can deny that. In spite of being in the "Information age", where the latest news from any part of the world is accessible to anyone and everyone at the touch of a button, the youth remain seriously misinformed. The only time they bother reading up regarding current affairs is when they need to prepare for CAT or the UPSC. And the percentage of this category of young people is very, very low.
A popular show on a famous youth channel shows how misinformed most youth are on basic things – like what the national song is, or the number of union Territories in India. Most companies who market their products through advertisements on TV, aim the youth as their primary segments, and seem to think that the youth is only obsessed with their looks, fashion, movies, and gossip. The Fair & Lovely Ads, for example, always show that for women to succeed – whether at securing a good match for marriage, impressing guys in general, or to get a job, they need to be beautiful and fair. There are ads that imply for men to be successful in their life, they need to reek of expensive perfumes, zoom around on bikes and cars, and deploy fairness creams. There are very few sensible ads on TV, like the IDEA ads and the Tata Tea Jaago-re campaign, which remind the youth of their capabilities and responsibilities towards the nation, the environment and society in general. These ads have contributed greatly to the cause they represent, which proves that the youth does have some sense of morality, contrary to popular belief.
Movies too, play an important role. For example, the OBC reservation bill, which was a bombshell dropped soon after the release of the movie "Rang De Basanti". The movie inspired the youth of our country to find that lost purpose, and there was a nation-wide protest against reservations. Also, there was a contrary pro-reservation movement. But sadly, due to the everlasting time and resources the politicians possess, and the lack of time with the youth, the movement could not achieve much. Yet, it made the youth realise their power and potential.
The media and the youth together are the most powerful force of change in our country. The youth of the nation have the power to shape the future of the nation. The government definitely takes their opinions seriously, as the future voters of India. With a little focus, organisation and determination, the youth can bring about the change that is required in the country. The media is now a very powerful agent – with a reach to the entire nation. At least one of the means – TV, radio, newspapers and internet is accessible to every Indian. The media, with some amount of responsibility and diligence to report the things that are really important, and the absolute truth, can help the youth in being more aware and bring about change. Both of them have a lot of potential. What is really required is a change in attitude.
