Regarding the Observer feature "Where a baby girl is a mother's awful shame," printed in The Japan Times on Nov. 29: It was disturbing to learn that, because of the dowry obligation and perhaps a general inferior perception of women in Indian society, people have turned a blind eye to the fact that they are killing sacred lives. Government intervention cannot prevent these senseless abortions, as the cause is deeply rooted in tradition/culture. As long as these people adhere to this specific custom, and as long as the role of women in society is not recognized, more lives will be lost.
But how does one abandon a tradition? Is it not something that should change with the times? How can you stick to something that makes you inhumane? How do you remove the stigma associated with the female child? It may be difficult to change the mind-set of the older population, but it is time to educate the younger people to wake up and open their eyes to the evils that this whole thing has turned into.
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