WATERING THE NEIGHBOUR'S GARDEN: THE GROWING - CICRED

VULNERABLE DAUGHTERS IN A MODERNIZING SOCIETY…
to find out the sex of the foetus. We also came across cases where
some health workers, particularly the auxiliary nurses-midwives
(ANMs), providing information and advising village women ‘on getting
rid of unwanted daughters”. Some of them openly admitted that both
the test and the abortions were done in Mandya city. In a few cases,
people went to places like Bangalore. This was expensive for the family,
but rich Gowdas were ready to spend more money for a ‘good
purpose’. For conducting ultrasound test and disclosing the sex of the
foetus, the private nursing homes in Mandya charge between Rs. 1,000
and 2,000, and if a woman prefers an abortion, she has to pay an
additional Rs. 5,000. During the discussions many women justified
persuading their daughters or daughters-in-law to have an abortion
telling them that it is better to spend Rs. 1,000 now than spending Rs.
10 lakhs (one million) later. One woman belonging to the Vokkaliga
community said that had this facility (ultrasound) been available 20
years ago, she would have preferred it to reduce the number of
daughters. She said “Hecchu edi kere haal maadtu; Hecchu henninda mane
haalaatu” (more crabs spoil the lake and in the same way more
daughters spoil the house). In an attempt to have a son 20 years ago,
she gave birth to three daughters.
“In the neighbours' house they have done an abortion secretly.
Now, in our community, a new thing has started. If
a woman becomes pregnant, they won’t say that she is
pregnant. Secretly she goes to Mandya to check the sex of
the baby. When she finds out that it is a girl, she will get an
abortion done immediately. Everything is done in a secretive
manner.”
“When I went to the hospital last time, I saw Mahadeva
and his wife, he has 3 girls and his wife is pregnant again.
If it is a girl, he wants her to abort“.
“Rame Gowda’s wife of the next village died during the
abortion. Poor woman, she has left behind two daughters.”
“Presently, one woman is in the hospital. She is a victim
of abortion. She had one daughter. For her second pregnancy
she went to have an abortion. Since then she has not
been well”.
“When I took my sister to the hospital for delivery, next
to her bed, there were three abortion cases which had been
admitted. I came to know that they came for abortion”.
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