After some improvement in the sex ratio in 2014, the initial year of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme, it has started deteriorating again in Haryana. Within a year, there was a big improvement in the sex ratio at birth in Haryana. With 900 girls being born against a thousand boys, it had reached the best level in the last 20 years. But after that, the situation deteriorated again. Is it more the people’s fault than the leaders for the sex ratio not becoming an election issue in Haryana because the male-dominated people do not want this? Men do not want this picture to change, and I am also guilty of this. When we demand electricity, water, and roads, it also becomes a political issue. If we demand it, the problem of the sex ratio will also be taken seriously. All the parties of the state must raise this issue seriously before the general public during the elections. This issue is very serious and will directly affect the social fabric. In such a situation, all political parties should reach out to the public by being unanimous on this issue. Also, more important than putting this issue in the manifesto is that all of us become serious about it.
Years ago, during an election, a leader from Haryana had told the youth in a meeting that ‘Vote for me and I will get you married.’ Although this was said in a very light manner, unfortunately, this issue is still very serious today. Politics is also a strange thing. Issues come and become the subject of discussion. At the time of elections, different equations and different issues dominate during the campaign. Votes are sought in the name of issues. In this assembly election of Haryana, the issues of Agniveer Yojana, farmers’ movement, and women players are looking very important among the political parties, and a lot is being heard on these in the election campaign. But Haryana’s worst sex ratio in the country has not become an issue in the election. In the last census of India in 2011, the number of girls in Haryana was the lowest at 830 as compared to 1000 boys among children aged 0 to 6 years. The sex ratio in the state, that is, the lesser number of women compared to men, is often discussed from different platforms, but this issue has not been seen in the elections this time too. The matter of concern here is that till now it has not been seen that the issue related to the imbalanced sex ratio has been taken as an election issue.
While the need of the hour seems to be that the solid arrangements that should be made before the birth of half the population should be given a place as an important issue in the manifesto of political parties. Since the Constitution has given women the right to provide equal opportunities as men, the sex ratio should become an issue in the elections of Haryana, but it has not become so. Parties do not raise this issue because it will expose their past failures, and if any party has worked on this issue, not being able to publicize it is also their shortcoming. People in Haryana say that girls will have to be brought from other states to replace boys, but even the ‘Beti Bachao’ campaign and strictness on female foeticide did not change the situation. Apart from working at home and in the fields, women of Haryana are quite ahead in the field of sports. Women of Haryana have also been seen to be very active in the farmers’ movement. Many female players who have won medals for India in the Olympics and other games belong to Haryana.
In terms of political activism, women are ahead in becoming party workers and voting, but they are still far behind in holding top positions and making policies. The dominance of men in the traditional society of Haryana is considered to be a major reason behind this. Female foeticide has also been a major problem in many areas of India. Experts believe that till a few years ago, there were more warning advertisements on TV and in newspapers against this. Even after sex determination of the fetus in the womb has become a crime by law, it has not been possible to completely stop it. Haryana remains among the top states in the country in cases of such crimes. Due to the poor sex ratio, the problem of lack of girls for the marriage of youth in Haryana is an old one. Not only this, the state government has also started a pension for unmarried men between 45 to 60 years. Haryana is the first state in India to start such a pension scheme. If we look at the ratio of boys and girls in Haryana, then more than 100 youths out of every thousand youths in the state cannot get married.
Due to this, the lack of girls for the marriage of youth in the state is also a big problem. In many areas here, girls are searched for marriage in states like Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. It is obvious that the population balance of boys and girls is deteriorating. The population balance is deteriorating due to the youth remaining unmarried. It seems impossible to imagine an ideal society without empowering women. In the Haryana Assembly elections held in the year 2019, a total of 9 women won. In this respect, the representation of women in the state assembly was only 10 percent. In this election too, till now BJP has given tickets to a total of 10 women in Haryana and Congress has given tickets to 6 women in two lists. In such a situation, it is clear what kind of thinking political parties have towards women? Forget about tickets to women, all the parties in the state have not even touched a serious issue like female foeticide. Before increasing the number of women in the Legislative Assembly, if a serious issue like female foeticide is included as an election issue, then it will directly work towards women empowerment. If this happens, we will see positive results.
All the political parties in the state must take up this issue seriously with the public during the elections. This issue is very serious and will directly affect the social fabric. In such a situation, all political parties should reach out to the public by being unanimous on this issue. Also, more important than putting this issue in the manifesto is that all of us should become serious about it.
