The death of two-month-old Neha Afreen after she was battered by her father is yet another shocking reminder of the plight of the girl child in Karnataka. The falling child sex ratio is glaring evidence that Baby Afreen’s story is shared and lived by many girl children across Karnataka who have to fight first to be born and then to live. What will it take for a patriarchal society to let the girl child live without bias, asks Monica Jha.

While baby Neha Afreen died in a glare of publicity after being beaten up by her father only because she was not the son he wanted, the cries of many other babies like her seem to have been silenced even before they could be heard, across Karnataka, if the latest census of 2011 is anything to go by.

The census places the child (0-6 years) sex ratio in Karnataka at 943 girls per 1000 boys, 3 points below the last recorded child sex ratio of 946 and experts believe this can only be the result of increasing female foeticide and infanticide in the state.

If you thought Bengaluru district was any different and more progressive than districts further away, in the state's interiors, think again. The child sex ratio here too has fallen from 943 to 941 over the last decade. While the falling ratio is alarming enough, it is also lower than the average child sex ratio of 944 in the country.

In all 16 of the 30 districts in the state have registered a decline in the child sex ratio.Besides Chamrajnagar which has a child sex ratio of 942, 19 other districts too have a child sex ratio below 950.

Strangely, however, the overall sex ratio (female: male across age groups) has shown an upward swing over the last decade. Today there are 968 women per 1000 men in the state as compared to 965 in 2001, which is better than the overall sex ratio of 940 for the country as a whole.

Udupi district, which has the best overall sex ratio (1,093) in Karnataka, has also seen a dip in its child sex ratio from 958 to 955 between 2001 and 2011.

PNDT Act remains on paper as sex ratio falls

It’s the tragic truth. The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT ) Act is not strictly implemented in Karnataka despite its falling child sex ratio. The committee formed by the state government to oversee enforcement of the Act was dissolved without anything significant to show for the duration that it was around.

The state may have a Child Rights Commission, but its recommendations are not binding on it and the State Human Rights Commission and Child Welfare Committee can do little once the cases of infanticide or foeticide come up before criminal law courts.

Child activists blame the pathetic situation of the girl child in Karnataka on a combination of these factors in addition to the bias she has to put up with from birth in many cases. To them the solution lies, at least partly, in strict enforcement of the laws to curb crime against the girl child.

“We do have laws dealing with the issue such as the PCPNDT Act, Juvenile Justice Act and many others, but what we need is strict and sincere enforcement,” they say.

“Only the fear of punishment can act as a deterrent as it shows that the state is not going to tolerate the crime,” states Santosh Vaz, founder, Janodaya Trust.

Others reason that lack of awareness of these laws is also at the root of the problem as Baby Neha Afreen's mother Reshma put up with her husband’s cruelty, partly, because she did not know how to reach out for help and what her rights were.

Strict punishment in these cases is only a partial solution: Meena Jain

Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee (girls), Bengaluru Urban

The issue of crime against the girl child is multifaceted and therefore the solution needs to be a combination of several measures too. We do have some laws but we need to ensure strict enforcement.

It’s crucial to send out a signal that the state has zero tolerance towards crimes against the girl child.

The bodies and agencies working to protect these children must be involved in the process of delivering justice.

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) looks into cases of crime against children, but once they come up before the criminal law courts, the police takes over. In Baby Afreen’s case, we (the CWC) are sending a detailed report to the judicial body. This should be made a standard practice. Judicial bodies must always ask for a report from the CWC in every case involving children before the criminal law courts .

Strict punishment in these cases is only a partial solution. Sensitising people and creating awareness on the need to protect the girl child is absolutely necessary too. In every case, there are several issues involved that need to be taken care of. In Baby Afreen’s case, the mother needs to be rehabilitated.

The women’s commission has to take this case very seriously. Besides assisting the mother, it has to work on educating women about their rights and tell them about the help that is out there should they reach out for it. They must be told about the Domestic Violence Act, The Juvenile Justice Act and other laws that are there to protect them and their children.

‘Parental harm to kids a cause for concern’

Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen expressed concern over the death of battered baby Neha Afreen while suo motu hearing a Public Interest Litigation on the increasing deaths of children due to malnutrition in the State.

“Parents harming their own children is a matter of serious concern. Children were treated as treasure, but look at baby Neha’s plight,” the CJ observed. Asking the mother of the deceased baby if she needed any legal aid, the CJ said such women need to be rehabilitated. Only when women stand on their own feet will such atrocities stop, he said.

The CJ also sought to know the status of pre-natal tests in the state. “We do not know how long Neha’s mother will speak against her husband. In six to seven months her statements may change,” the CJ said when the advocate said that such cases need to be dealt with expeditiously.