JIND: A ceremony which was once exclusively meant to mark the birth of a boy in Haryana is now being performed on the birth of a girl too. In the process, many people in the north Indian state which is often criticised for being too patriarchal, are breaking a centuries-old custom.
For centuries, families in villages of the region had been welcoming a boy child with ceremonies like ‘Kua Pujan‘ (well’s worship) and ‘Chhathi’ (performed when the baby is six days old), and many other rituals. However, if a girl would be born, the family would start mourning. In worse cases, the newborn girl child would be killed or the foetus aborted if the family found the gender to be female during the sex determination test.
All this has changed over the past 10 years in the state, courtesy government’s efforts to raise awareness and strict laws against sex determination tests. Data is reflecting the change in mindset. The state’s sex ratio has improved from 834 girls to 1,000 boys in 2010 to 914 girls to 1,000 boys in 2021. The hinterland districts of yearningHisar, Kaithal and Rohtak are performing well on this parameter.
Rajesh Bhola, deputy civil surgeon at Jind civil hospitalsaid he had attended over 500 ‘Kua Pujans’ in personal capacity for the girl child in Jind alone. “I have seen a major change in the mindset of people over five years. Earlier, anyone who performed Kua Pujan for a girl child was mocked. Even female foeticide has dropped. When we started such programmes, people used to gather to watch us and it became a matter of discussion all over the village, but now it has become a common practice. People in large numbers perform such rituals now at village level after the birth of a girl child,” he added.
Jind DJ’s free rental
Monty Sharma, who owns a DJ shop in Jind city, has been offering free sound system to those who perform Kua Pujan for girls. “I have given my music system over 50 times in Jind district to promote this. I was a change for girls and hope people change their thinking one day. Normally, I charge 10,000 ,” he said
For centuries, families in villages of the region had been welcoming a boy child with ceremonies like ‘Kua Pujan‘ (well’s worship) and ‘Chhathi’ (performed when the baby is six days old), and many other rituals. However, if a girl would be born, the family would start mourning. In worse cases, the newborn girl child would be killed or the foetus aborted if the family found the gender to be female during the sex determination test.
All this has changed over the past 10 years in the state, courtesy government’s efforts to raise awareness and strict laws against sex determination tests. Data is reflecting the change in mindset. The state’s sex ratio has improved from 834 girls to 1,000 boys in 2010 to 914 girls to 1,000 boys in 2021. The hinterland districts of yearningHisar, Kaithal and Rohtak are performing well on this parameter.
Rajesh Bhola, deputy civil surgeon at Jind civil hospitalsaid he had attended over 500 ‘Kua Pujans’ in personal capacity for the girl child in Jind alone. “I have seen a major change in the mindset of people over five years. Earlier, anyone who performed Kua Pujan for a girl child was mocked. Even female foeticide has dropped. When we started such programmes, people used to gather to watch us and it became a matter of discussion all over the village, but now it has become a common practice. People in large numbers perform such rituals now at village level after the birth of a girl child,” he added.
Jind DJ’s free rental
Monty Sharma, who owns a DJ shop in Jind city, has been offering free sound system to those who perform Kua Pujan for girls. “I have given my music system over 50 times in Jind district to promote this. I was a change for girls and hope people change their thinking one day. Normally, I charge 10,000 ,” he said