Infant Deaths

[Avtar95]

Vaheguru Ji ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Sat Sri Akal

In punjab there are 738 girls born to 1000 boys it's disgraceful. the guru's preached against the sati system and infant deaths. iN PUNJAB THE POLICE FOUND A PRIVATE CLINIC WHICH HAD A WELL OF FEMALE Foetus' In amritsar the SGPC have set up places where you give the famale babies to but even this doesn't improve the problem. The only way we need to stop is to spread this message through the sikh community so this never happens again. People say that embryo screening is banned in India but it isn't you and i know that in Punjab you can do anything. Even in the UK you can go to a private clinic and find what sex is the baby then you can fly of to India and abort. Please Reply

Vaheguru Ji ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[chupchapiti]

^{Vaheguru jee ka khalsa Vaheguru jee kee fateh!}

^{This is one of the serious issues in sikh kaum/punjab today. About a couple months ago, when Joginder Singh, SGPC Secretary had come to US, I had a chance to talk to him about such issues. When I brought this issue up of "female infanticide", I said i think we need to do something about it..The numbers of females to males in punjab are very disporpotionate and something need to be done about it. He goes Oh Now the numbers getting better...almost equal to boys. I was like No way, as far as I know ,it is not true. Then he smirked and goes "jehdia maardia ne oh vi ta kudia hi ne"!! I was soo <Edited>, i was like really? We all know that But this is a big social problem. The culture of punjab or the narrow minded thinking of the people there is such that they do think boys are better than girls for whatever reason. Women in punjab are made to think like boys are better than girls. Or the pressure from their in-laws to give them a "son", Or they are told that the in-laws wouldnt ask the daughter-in-law's family to give them more dowry or whatever IF she gives them a son, So for whatever reason, either to make her in-laws happy or because they do think girls are "boj" on the family, so they keep aborting female babies.}

^{My point is if we know there is a problem in punjab, regardless of now media waking up as well to this problem and try to give meaningful messages on tv regarding "not aborting female babies", it is still not enough. SGPC is not gonna do anything about it. We are gonna have to literally get in their mind and educate them, make them aware. If we don't do it, nobody is going to do it!!}

[Avtar95]

Yeah ur right but in sikhism isn't it Actions Speak Louder than words

[VanHelsingh]

This problem is ingrained so deeply into the Panjabi psyche, that its actually quite frightening to think when (or if) there will ever be a solution to this serious issue.

The first issue to examine is the reason for the infanticide. I'm guessing that due to the agricultural way of life of the majority of Sikhs in Panjab, families want male heirs in order to pass on the "zameen"? Would that be accurate? Thus a male heir would "keep everything in the family" whilst a female needs to be married off, and as such if there were only females in a particular family, that female's in-laws would be in a prime position to keep their eye on the zameen, knowing full well the girl hasn't a brother to whom it will be bequeathed? Stop me if I'm wrong - I'm just throwing some ideas into the ether.

Would another issue be the cost of getting girls married? I understand its very expensive all over the world, but especially for simple people such as farmers in Panjab who have limited income. If such families have the misfortune to get their daughter engaged to "besharam" in-laws who won't think twice about asking for an extortionate dowry, the family wonders where they'll be able to produce such a large amount of money?

Another issue that I can think of is the general climate of promiscuity in Panjab these days. Its very difficult to keep an eye on one's child, especially when a daughter is considered the "honour" of a household. So rather than worry about keeping a daughter safe, people turn to the aforementioned horrible methods of birth control?

Then we arrive at the following thought: Our relatives and countrymen in Panjab have to take the above into consideration when partaking in these horrible, anti-Sikhi practices. So why is there a gender imbalance in our people in the UK, U.S. and Canada - if not in numbers then at least in perceptions and the desires of - dare I say - mothers in law - who pray day and night for male grandchildren. What's their problem?

[Avtar95]

Kaljugi i agree with you 100% i know there some poor farmers out there but the problem is they think about money more than they think about there daughters

I QUOTE (IN GGS) "CURSED IS THOSE WHO KILL THERE DAUGHTERS"

the only way to stop this is to tell these people and educate them. e.g Imagine a Gurmukh the best one in the world then aborts his daughter at that very moment he will not gain mukti he will become manmukh. It's god's will to let people die isn't it. If you kill someone it is at your own will not God's hence becoming manmukh

[VanHelsingh]

I also agree with your point. I think people - on the whole - know its against Sikhi, but they just don't care.

[Avtar95]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

ur right Kuljigi but some don't some are just in old fashioned way of view not modern eg women cleaning house and taking care of kids

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[Avtar95]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Sat Sri Akal

Nowadays the SGPC have been giving cots for the babies. There is one i Amritsar. I know this is good but to get to the root of the problem they need to educate these people also they spend lakhs on building development but they could spen at least a lakh to educate a whole village in India. Slowly gettign better.

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh