Pune: As the sense of outrage over female foeticide in Maharashtra gets stronger and government departments step up surveillance on sonography and abortion clinics across the state to stop sex-selective tests and termination of pregnancy, politicians too have jumped into the fray. Taking up the cause, Baramati MP and NCP politician Supriya Sule announced that she would go on a padyatra (a journey undertaken on foot) between August 25 and August 28 to raise awareness on saving the girl child.
Speaking to MiD DAY, Sule said the distance covered would be 70 km and 500 girls from various districts of the state were expected to join her in this journey. "I think that unless the mindset of people changes, problems like female foeticide will continue to exist, no matter how many regulations the government introduces. I see awareness and women empowerment playing a major role in stopping girl child abortions and also inequality towards girls after birth. That's why we are going to undertake this padyatra along with doctors and members of civil society and peer leaders to raise awareness and personally appeal to people," said Sule.
She added that the padyatra not only aimed at raising awareness on the need to prevent girl child abortions but would also campaign for equal rights for girls, like access to nutritional food and education. Joining her in the cause are various doctor organisations and their representatives like the Mumbai-based paediatrician and representative of Indian Academy of Paediatricians Dr Samir Dalwai.
"Along the way we are organising various activities like essay competitions and dramas to engage people and draw out the message that we want to convey. Most importantly, we are being joined by a large number of girls from Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, where girl child ratio is highest, to serve as an example and inspiration for other villages," he said. The group will start from Naigaon in Khandala district, reaching the city on August 28, when a large function is being organised for awareness on female foeticide and which will be presided over by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
Foetus found in toilet
Even as efforts to monitor abortion clinics have been stepped up to detect sex selective abortions, a dead foetus was found in a toilet near the Pune Municipal Corporation-run Sutar Hospital in Kothrud. According to a police complaint filed by a PMC medical officer, a cleaner working with the hospital got a message from the attendant in the nearby toilet about a foetus left behind in the toilet.
"The incident happened between 2.30 pm and 3 pm. Our cleaning supervisor got a message that someone had left a foetus in a nearby public toilet. Our medical officers rushed there and found the dead foetus wrapped in a cloth there. We don't know the sex of the foetus or how many months old it was as we had called in the police and handed it over for post-mortem," said Dr R R Pardeshi, chief medical officer, PMC.
Asked how such an incident could happen ever after claims of strict surveillance in the city, he said someone from another area must have done it. "The manager was not in his seat as he had gone for lunch, I believe. Someone took advantage of that and kept it there. Now, it is not possible for us to monitor all places like public toilets," he said.
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