In this day and age when the daughters of India are leaving the sons behind and winning Olympic medals for the country, here comes a story that would send chills down your spine.
In a horrific incident, a mother-in-law tried to set her pregnant daughter-in-law on fire as an astrologer predicted that her bahu would be giving birth to another girl child. The shocking incident took place in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
News reports say that the in-laws poured kerosene on Girija, name of their daughter-in-law. However, when the daughter-in-law raised an alarm and started shouting for help, the in-laws fled the house. The local people rescued her and took Girija to a nearby hospital. Despite all the efforts made by the in-laws, the woman is in stable condition and is now out of danger.
Police have registered an attempt to murder case against the in-laws who are currently absconding. Preliminary inquiry revealed that her in-laws forced Girija to undergo abortion as they did not want a baby girl again. "After Girija refused, her mother in-laws attempted to set Girija on fire by pouring kerosene on her stomach while she was sleeping," police source said.
Save the girl child
This incident once again points out towards the common Indian mentality of favouring a boy over a girl. There is a huge cultural preference for boys mainly because of the enormous expense in marrying off girls and paying elaborate dowries.
Also, since the girl gets married into another family she would not be able to inherit her parental property. This is another reason that many Indians prefer to have a male child. However, many families become so desperate that they turn to traditional healers and astrologers to seek folk remedies that might help deliver a son.
But research now says that most of these remedies contain high levels of dangerous chemicals that increase the chances of still births and birth defects. Some of the chemicals might even mimic the effect of human hormones, says the study.
A study, published in the journal Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, found that sex-selection remedies were responsible for around 20% of all stillbirths in the northern Indian state of Haryana alone, where these folk remedies are quite popular.
We would only like to mention that the sex of the baby does not depend on the mother and it is the man who determines the sex of the baby. Men determine the sex of a baby depending on whether their sperm is carrying an X or Y chromosome.
An X chromosome combines with the mother's X chromosome to make a baby girl (XX) and a Y chromosome will combine with the mother's to make a boy (XY). It must be noted here that only men carry the Y chromosome.
If only Indians understood this basic biology.
Also read: 12 terrible things Indian mothers-in-law often say to their daughters-in-law
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