A few years ago I saw the film Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women. A deeply disturbing Indian film said to be futuristic in nature, from the sound of the attached article, it looks like the future has arrived. Girls are becoming an endangered gender in India. While dowry is still demanded in most marriages, things are changing in some parts of India where there are not enough women of marrying age. The result? Girls are being bought, sold, kidnapped, and trafficked. Unbelievably,“…even local elections have candidates promising brides in return for votes.”
An excerpt from the November 11th edition of Hindustan Times:
Where have all the girls gone?
In the prosperous districts of Haryana and Punjab — where son preference has resulted in a skewed sex ratio — girls from economically weaker backgrounds in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal are being openly bought in droves for ‘marriages’ that are more often than not without the consent of the girl. The legal status of such wedlock, of course, remains questionable. According to data compiled by Shaktivahini, a Faridabad-based NGO that takes up anti-trafficking issues, there are up to 50,000 paros in Haryana alone, including a huge proportion of minors. Faced with a crisis, even local elections have candidates promising brides in return for votes.
Census 2001 shows that the child sex ratio in Haryana and Punjab stands at 820 and 793 per 1,000 boys respectively. But according to the latest health survey by the Punjab government, villages like Sansarwal in Patiala have touched an alarming 438 girls per 1,000 boys.
Ergo, girls are fast turning into a vanishing tribe. A recent United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report warns that female deficit in the marriageable age (20-49) is set to touch 25 million by the year 2030.
The impact, however, is already being felt here. Says Dr Madhav Mohan Godbole, the director of Balgrah, a rehabilitation centre in Rai, Sonepat, “Villagers come to us and plead for brides. They say if we can’t fix them up, they will be forced to buy girls.” Faced with a crisis, even local elections have candidates promising brides in return for votes. Ram Prasad of Seoti village in Sonepat, concedes, “frequent trips are being made from all over Haryana to hunt for girls in Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and even Maharashtra.”
In a typical ‘buying’ scenario, someone with ‘contacts’ in source states facilitates such arrangements in return for kharcha-paani, explains Rishikant of Shativahini. The ‘going rate’ ranges from Rs 6,000 –10,000, depending on the age and virginity. Forced by poverty, many a time the paros also have to ‘accept’ polyandry.
Full story
This is truely shocking , I have been a feminist through out my life though have not been able to do much about it.But I want to contribute my share because I know that with out any fault of hers a wowan has suffered at the hands of this stupid system called our society . There has to be a revolution .A woman has to learn to live on her own .Its time that a woman gets what has been snatched away from her in the name of law and social obligation.
numerouno711 ~ It is shocking to the degree that it does not seem like it can be anything but a bad dream. But during my last trip to India (Oct. 06-Apr. 07) I saw a number of families that only had sons. That cannot be an accident. I agree that we as women must rebel and revolt against a system that sees the female as inferior. Thank you for your commitment to contribute. That’s what it will take, from all of us.
well I dont know how as if now but i think it starts with the commitment of every existing woman to bring up her childern with a free mindset and to make sure to bring up an able daughter who is the leader of the future ,as i will be doing with my daughter .I prayed to have a daughter and God blessed me with one . Thanks fo the reply . Let me know if I can be of any help .
Sounds like the right step to take with your daughter. I think that is the best way to be of help, that, and being an example of a strong and empowered woman.
Is the film Mathrubumi available in DVD? If so can you give me the information on how and where to get it.
Thank you.
Jacqueline — I was able to find the film on Netflix in the U.S. I’m not sure where you are located, but you might consider looking for it online. I hope you can find a copy. It’s a difficult but important film.
[...] Update: A detailed article on how scarcity of girls has led to polyandry and desperate measures taken to procure wives. Note that this has still not led to women being treated any better. ( via Barbara Raisbeck who has also posted on the subject). [...]