Mr. Bhupindra Singh Hudda, Chief Minister, Haryana (State in India near national capital Delhi with 25 million population, economically & educationally better than many other states but one of the worst in terms of female foeticide) said that:

 

"Female Foeticide is a blot on Society."

 

Chief Minister Hudda appreciated the undaunted and consistent efforts of Swami  Agnivesh in the Campaign Against Female Foeticide and pledged to extend every possible support for the

 

India Campaign Against Female Infanticide

 

and expressed the need to redouble its energy and reach.

 

Addressing the large gathering of around five thousand persons, Swami Agnivesh asserted unless & until our efforts are supported with a participatory approach from every religion, success on eradication of casteism, communalism, corruption, alcoholism, orthodoxism, exploitation and female exploitation, shall remain a distant dream.

 

Swami gladly acknowledged, that in their continuous campaign directed to create mass awareness against the Female Foeticide, we are encouragingly receiving support from every  religious leaders like Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Hindu. 

 

Female foeticide is the problem not only for Arya Samaj but for every religion hence we all need to come together for a concerted efforts to put on end to the problem.

 

Swami Agnivesh, further explained the strategy to tackle this problem. He told that it had been decided to constitute

 

“Save the daughter Committee”

 

Both at district and block level. Nearly 100 such units will be set up in 60 blocks and almost in all 19-20 districts of Haryana. There will be 15 activists working in each unit. Thus almost 1500 social activists will actively work in this discretion across  the Haryana State. They will keep an eye on the ultra sound centre & also on those pregnant women who have already delivered a female baby. The activists will work on sensitizing the community and the ill effects of this menace for both the family, the would be mother & society at large. They will make door to door visit &  persuade the would be mother and her family not to go for ultrasound test for sex-determination. The workers will also be in touch with District Health Officer, Police Superintended & District Collector to avail all possible support from the administration as and when needed.  .

 

Swami Agnivesh further indicated that visits will be made to every university & colleges in the region to pledges from every student, that in future they would marry without any dowry neither they will take nor give it.

 

Swamiji appreciated the support of Chief Minister of Haryana and his Government for providing financial support on such social issues in the past.

 

In order to revive & rejuvenate the Female Foeticide & Save the Daughter Campaign with greater vigour and dedication the State Government made a Campaign gift of a Toyota Innova Car under the name of “Save the Daughter Chariot”. 

 

Addressing thousands of social activists of Haryana State, Chief Minister Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh Hudda expressed deep concern over the declining sex-ratio in the state. He lamented that though the Haryana tops the list of most developed States in India, at the same time it is facing the stigma of lowest sex-ratio in the country. The Chief Minister noted that there are several factors behind female foeticide, and that gender inequality betweens son and daughter is one of them.

 

Of late, the Haryana Government. has instituted the:

 

 “Ladli” Scheme – Ladli is  a term of endearment for daughter in north India -in order to give a sense of equality to girl child, in the society so that she may not be considered as second class citizen.    

 

Under the scheme, the family with two girl children is assisted with Rs. 5000/ a month at the birth of second girl child up to the age of 18 years, so that she could avail better education & the family do not consider her as economic liability. The Government. is celebrating  year 2006 as a “ Year of Girl Child” and giving wide publicity to the idea that female child is not less than the male child in any manner & therefore must be supported to help her become self-dependent so that she could become a role – model for others in the society.

 

The girls from scheduled caste or those living below poverty line are supported with Rs. 15000 by the state Govt. to meet the marriage expenditure in the form of “Kanyadan” so that the family concerned feel relieved financially at her marriage.

 

The Chief Minister expressed deep acknowledgement and applauded the all out efforts being made by Swami Agnivesh and his team of Arya Samaj activists to create mass awareness against the female foeticide. He also asserted that Swami Dayanand and Arya Samaj have truly served the society by focusing on women’s literacy and women awareness; which in turn has given way to women education and social awareness across the state. Haryana women today is emancipated from slavery within four walls of the house. Today people of Haryana feel proud to have established first Women’s University at Khanpur. State Government has not only accredidated it but also supporting financially.

 

Swami Agnivesh, also praised the State government for its various efforts & schemes being run across the State for women’s empowerment & augmenting the dignity of women in the society.

 

The Central Government too has enacted a new law in the country to protect the women from domestic violence, he said.

 

On this occasion Swami Agnivesh recalled his Protest March on foot from Delhi to Deorala (Rajasthan) against Sati System (Forced burning of a widow on the funeral pyre of her husband), the media highlighted the issue. Taking cognizance of the awareness generated by the march, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, got a legislation passed in the Parliament under which, glorification of Sati-system is congnizable offence with  seven year imprisonment. Today is 10^th Dec. which is celebrated as a International Day for Human Rights World over. The Female Foetus in the womb has equal right as that of male Foetus to grow and take birth, and hence its deliberate killing in the womb is grave sin in the eye of morality, religion as well as spirituality. Therefore we all should take a pledge here not to allow the perpetuation of this serious crime in our society.

 

Only rhetoric & lengthy speeches will not work now, but the whole society will have to come together in the fight against this serious menace.

 

On this occasion the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr. Bhupendra Singh Hudda, thankfully acknowledged and applauded the variegated efforts made by Swami Agnivesh to bring about awareness among the people of Female Feoticide and promised him for extending every possible support on behalf of the Haryana State government for this noble cause. 

 

 

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