Kuen mein dub mar - go drown yourself in the well

A COMMON abuse for women who step out of line from the strict control of patriarchal communities was to ask them to drown themselves in the well: kuen mein dub mar (Hindi) - go drown yourself in the well.

In the urban context, this has taken a different trajectory with shame now increasingly identified with bearing a female within one's womb. The wells near nursing homes, teeming with the bodies of female foetuses, bear testimony to this. The unfavourable female-male ratio (FMR) of 927 girls to 1000 boys in the 2001 census is clearly due to sex determination and sex-selective abortion. The demand and supply of this service has been articulated within the contours of a reinforced patriarchy. This form of socialisation and internalisation of son preference is propelled by consumerism. Having a baby of one's choice,in this case a son, has the full sanction of society, the media, the market and the state.

Women, both as victims and agents in this scenario, go in for repetitive sex selective abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy in order to have a son. This too is a ritual of subjugation. The metaphorical abuse go drown in the well taking a literal form with the negation of the right to give birth to a female or to be born female. While the declining sex ratio in north Indian states is common knowledge, what is relatively less known is that the declining sex ratio is manifesting itself almost uniformly throughout India, except for some northeastern states and tribal belts.
 
India today is being viewed as a potentially high-growth Nation, and its middle classes are becoming increasingly consumerist in their lifestyles. Unethical medical practitioners have cashed in on this boom. Accessing and providing sex determination and  sex selective abortions is the smart and savvy thing to do for both doctors and parents. So we have today small and customised family sizes and the rejection of the unwanted in this case the female foetus. Dowry has increased manifold and so has spending on weddings.

Dowry harassment and bride burning cases are regularly reported. Sexual harassment and rapes are also common.The government has contributed to lowering the status of women by imposing dress codes for college students and women teachers in schools and banning sex education. The two-child norm for elections to panchayati raj bodies is a clear indication of the state's coercive approach towards women. The state has refused to reconsider the policy while other states have done so. While girls are encouraged to study and be employed, the significant marker of their success is marriage and the ability to bear sons.

Feminine identity has remained the centre of critical examination in the writings of celebrated litterateurs from Fakir Mohan Senapati in the late 19th century to Pratibha Ray in contemporary times. An assertive and independent identity is what these writers have wanted for women. They have consistently rejected any idea of essentialised and dominant masculinist positions. Today, there is a definite rolling back of the gains of such thinking. The Orissa wells are an eye-opener,  not only for Orissa but all those states which consider their FMR as balanced. Sex ratio is an indicator of the status of women in society. The need to critically analyse data through a gender lens is the need of the hour.