Rome, Italy, Apr 29, 2008 / 13:23 pm
High-ranking officials in India have acknowledged the macabre scope of the selective abortion of girls, a practice that is increasingly more common in the country.
India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, harshly criticized this situation, calling it “one of the most inhumane, uncivilized and reprehensible practices.
The IANS news agency reported that the phenomenon above all affects the wealthiest regions of India and has led to a drop in the number of women versus the number of men. In the northeastern region of Punjab, there are only 798 girls for every 1000 boys; in Haryana, 819; New Delhi, 868 and in Gujarat, 883.
“This indicates that the growing economic prosperity and the education levels have not led to a corresponding alleviation of the problem,” Singh said.
He stressed that girls in India are more vulnerable because their parents fear early marriage, the payment of dowries, deficient nutrition or the lower status of women relative to men in society.
“The patriarchal mentality and preference for male children is complicated even more by the unethical conduct of members of the health care industry who offer sex determination services,” Singh said.