To check the cases of female foeticide, the district health department of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh decided to rely on the religious books like the Qur’ān and the Vedas. For the purpose, the department roped in as many as 1000 children of 15 city based schools who carried out playcards and banners displaying quotes from religious texts and appealed to the people to eradicate the social evil of female foeticide.
As part of the campaign, an awareness rally was held in the city on November 9. This was the first occasion when children in the city made an appeal against female foeticide.
The children, divided in three groups passed through all major areas in the city covering a distance of 20 kms. The rally, raising the slogan ‘Beti-Bachao’, concluded at three major points including the SRN hospital, Colvin and TB Sapru hospitals. The children told people not to discriminate between boys and girls. They also appealed to people to refrain from sex determination tests.