It refers to alarming reports by UCL Centre for International Health and Development that India may have 20 per cent more men than women in next 20 years. Mere celebrating Girl-Child Day on 24th January every year is not enough. Registration of properties in women’s names showed remarkable rise in Delhi after stamp-duty on such deals was subsidised for women. Union and state governments in India should take all possible measures for similar concessions like reduction of VAT and other taxes on items like vehicles registered in name of women. Some fields like gynaecologists in medical science should be exclusively for women or at least 75 per cent reservation for women. (In Pakistan, even autopsy of dead female bodies is not allowed by male doctors.) Females should have a sense of security by having automatic and instant rights in husbands’ ancestral and personal property but only for married life without divorce. Idea should be that birth of female child may be taken as necessity and boon rather than bane!
Women in general are in such a pitiable condition that abortion of female foeticide is much common. One of main causes of female foeticide is high expenses on marriage of girls. India should follow Pakistan by allowing only soft drinks and simple beverages in marriage-related functions. Mega-budgeted marriages should not be attended by persons holding official posts. Gifts in cash or kind received at marriages should be compulsorily reported to tax-authorities. Since most marriage-expenses are done by unaccounted money, the government should take every step to check parallel flow of black economy also by discontinuing printing of currency in denominations above one hundred rupees.
Madhu Agrawal
Delhi