In a Hindu Tamil family, the birth of a girl child is greeted with great happiness. They see the child as goddess Lakshmi(Lakshmi is the Goddess of Wealth, food, courage,etc). So they say that Lakshmi has been born in their family.
In some families there will be no girl child for some generations. Such families used to consult with their ancestors or some Poojaris( Hindu saints or Rishis) for the reason and also they ask them whether it is a spell or curse of any woman in their generations and also the way to get rid of it, so that they have a girl child in their family there after.
Our society is a patriarchal society and we follow patrilineal system( descent through male line).So when a man becomes father to a girl baby, he sees her as his mother's rebirth.In such a way boys have a bond of affection with their mothers. So he loves his girl infinitely. His care to his wife is only next to his daughter.
One of my friends had a girl child. She was not able to conceive later. So they decided to adopt a boy. So she said to her husband that her friend has 5 children and her friend was not even able to feed them properly because of poverty,so let them ask her whether she can give a boy in adoption to them. Later they went to her house to consult with her friend's family. They had 3 boys and 2 girls. The poor family said that they can give only girl child in adoption not a boy. Finally they adopted a girl to reduce some burden for them.
In this way all our people crave for boy child ,so that he may take care of them in their older days and also their daughters. In our society men were the providers, protectors of a family. He can bring a wife to work for their family, can provide his age old parents and also conducts the death rituals for them according to our vedic rules. This made the importance for the male child.
People don't want to have more girl children because of the Dowry system prevailing in India.In this system when a girl is married to a man, the girl's parents should give cash, jewels, clothes and utensils and even vehicle,to the boy whom they are going to get married to their daughter.This dowry varies accordingly with the education and financial status.
On the other side female infanticide was in practice in many villages of Tamil Nadu because of this dowry system. In a family if more than 2 girl children are born, they used to kill that new born baby by giving poisonous extract of cactus plant (kalli paal in Tamil).We can also say "KALLI PAAL A DAY KEEPS THE DAUGHTER AWAY!". This is done by either the eldest lady of that family or the lady in each village to do this poisonous job. Although it is illegal, they do it with out the knowledge of Law. Even other people of that village protect them, since every ones situation is same. A Tamil movie named KARUTHAMMA portrays best about this.
In order to safeguard girl child the Tamil Nadu Govt has introduced schemes like SIVAGAMI AMMAIYAR NINAIVU PEN KUZHANTHAIGAL THITTAM, in that if a couple has only one girl child, rupees 50,000 will be deposited in that child's name for a fixed term. If they have 2 girl children , the amount will be divided equally to them.The main conditions are, the couple should not have male child or adopt a boy and also they should have done the Family Planning Operation within 3 years of the birth of one or two girl babies.
To prevent female infanticide there is a scheme called THOTTIL KUZHANTHAI THITTAM ( cradle baby scheme). Under this if a parent is not willing to breed the girl baby, they can hand over the baby to the near by government hospitals or orphanages where this system exists. These children are bred in the Orphanages and also given in adoption legally.This system was started first in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu in India. After it was started in many southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
There was a belief that woman is the sole responsibility to have a girl child. If a lady gives birth to 2 or more girl babies, the husband's family and also the society blames only the lady. Even they arrange for the second marriage to that man, to have a boy baby. To prevent the illegal marriages and to safeguard women's rights the govt of India created social awareness programmes in Televisions by saying that only male's chromosomes are sole responsible for the sex of a baby.It took long time for the people to change their superstitious beliefs. Nowadays people changed a lot, even then there are many villages in Tamil Nadu where these rituals are practiced even now.
Nowadays second marriages just for the reason of boy baby is not possible, since women are educated and fight for their justice. So ,another way of injustice is done to female foetus in villages. If a lady has girl child previously, she wants only boy baby next,because nowadays 2 children practice is there even in villages. So the couple tries to know the sex of the baby before birth, which is illegal in India, to safeguard girl child. Even then there are some Doctors and Hospitals where it is done illegally just for money. After knowing that if it is female sex, they used to abort that baby.
In this way after a long struggle, a girl baby is coming to this world in many Tamil families, but the men are trying to use them for their sexual hunger whether it is a 1 month baby or 100 years grandma.Let us educate our generation about the struggle of the girls and to treat them equally in all ways.
In some families there will be no girl child for some generations. Such families used to consult with their ancestors or some Poojaris( Hindu saints or Rishis) for the reason and also they ask them whether it is a spell or curse of any woman in their generations and also the way to get rid of it, so that they have a girl child in their family there after.
Our society is a patriarchal society and we follow patrilineal system( descent through male line).So when a man becomes father to a girl baby, he sees her as his mother's rebirth.In such a way boys have a bond of affection with their mothers. So he loves his girl infinitely. His care to his wife is only next to his daughter.
One of my friends had a girl child. She was not able to conceive later. So they decided to adopt a boy. So she said to her husband that her friend has 5 children and her friend was not even able to feed them properly because of poverty,so let them ask her whether she can give a boy in adoption to them. Later they went to her house to consult with her friend's family. They had 3 boys and 2 girls. The poor family said that they can give only girl child in adoption not a boy. Finally they adopted a girl to reduce some burden for them.
In this way all our people crave for boy child ,so that he may take care of them in their older days and also their daughters. In our society men were the providers, protectors of a family. He can bring a wife to work for their family, can provide his age old parents and also conducts the death rituals for them according to our vedic rules. This made the importance for the male child.
People don't want to have more girl children because of the Dowry system prevailing in India.In this system when a girl is married to a man, the girl's parents should give cash, jewels, clothes and utensils and even vehicle,to the boy whom they are going to get married to their daughter.This dowry varies accordingly with the education and financial status.
On the other side female infanticide was in practice in many villages of Tamil Nadu because of this dowry system. In a family if more than 2 girl children are born, they used to kill that new born baby by giving poisonous extract of cactus plant (kalli paal in Tamil).We can also say "KALLI PAAL A DAY KEEPS THE DAUGHTER AWAY!". This is done by either the eldest lady of that family or the lady in each village to do this poisonous job. Although it is illegal, they do it with out the knowledge of Law. Even other people of that village protect them, since every ones situation is same. A Tamil movie named KARUTHAMMA portrays best about this.
In order to safeguard girl child the Tamil Nadu Govt has introduced schemes like SIVAGAMI AMMAIYAR NINAIVU PEN KUZHANTHAIGAL THITTAM, in that if a couple has only one girl child, rupees 50,000 will be deposited in that child's name for a fixed term. If they have 2 girl children , the amount will be divided equally to them.The main conditions are, the couple should not have male child or adopt a boy and also they should have done the Family Planning Operation within 3 years of the birth of one or two girl babies.
To prevent female infanticide there is a scheme called THOTTIL KUZHANTHAI THITTAM ( cradle baby scheme). Under this if a parent is not willing to breed the girl baby, they can hand over the baby to the near by government hospitals or orphanages where this system exists. These children are bred in the Orphanages and also given in adoption legally.This system was started first in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu in India. After it was started in many southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
There was a belief that woman is the sole responsibility to have a girl child. If a lady gives birth to 2 or more girl babies, the husband's family and also the society blames only the lady. Even they arrange for the second marriage to that man, to have a boy baby. To prevent the illegal marriages and to safeguard women's rights the govt of India created social awareness programmes in Televisions by saying that only male's chromosomes are sole responsible for the sex of a baby.It took long time for the people to change their superstitious beliefs. Nowadays people changed a lot, even then there are many villages in Tamil Nadu where these rituals are practiced even now.
Nowadays second marriages just for the reason of boy baby is not possible, since women are educated and fight for their justice. So ,another way of injustice is done to female foetus in villages. If a lady has girl child previously, she wants only boy baby next,because nowadays 2 children practice is there even in villages. So the couple tries to know the sex of the baby before birth, which is illegal in India, to safeguard girl child. Even then there are some Doctors and Hospitals where it is done illegally just for money. After knowing that if it is female sex, they used to abort that baby.
In this way after a long struggle, a girl baby is coming to this world in many Tamil families, but the men are trying to use them for their sexual hunger whether it is a 1 month baby or 100 years grandma.Let us educate our generation about the struggle of the girls and to treat them equally in all ways.
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