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Ear to the Ground

Fetal Horror in Punjab

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Posted on Aug 19, 2006

Authorities in the Indian state of Punjab recently made a grotesque discovery that has prompted public outrage and a government crackdown. Acting on a tip, police and health officials raided a private clinic and found a 30-foot well with over 50 female fetuses inside.

Although it is illegal to terminate a pregnancy based on sex, Punjab has 776 girls for every thousand boys under the age of 6—the largest gender differential in India.


BBC News:

Galvanised into action by the horrifying spectacle of decomposing foetuses and subsequent reports in local newspapers and television channels, squads of police and health officials conducted simultaneous raids on dozens of private hospitals and ultrasound centres.

The raids are specifically targeting smaller clinics, many located in nondescript, small townships and settlements, like Sahib Hospital.

“I have directed my men to seal all unauthorised hospitals and diagnostic centres,” the civil surgeon responsible for health services in the district, Virender Singh Mohi, said.

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By R. A. Earl, August 21, 2006 at 6:11 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Hey Bukko, whatcha got against being GAY? Some of my best friends are…

Oopsie!

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By Sonal Panse, August 21, 2006 at 4:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s not so much overcrowding as a cultural problem - girls are considered inferior and less important than boys - and this stupid and sick mindset exists regardless of education standards - in South Delhi, for example, where most people are extremely well-off and well-educated, the incidents of female foeticide are the highest.

In Punjab, with shortage of girls as well as land, people are resorting to buying brides from Assam and Bengal - where poverty-stricken people sell their daughters, who are, of course, not asked what they think - and, to avoid dividing the land between brothers, the Punjabis have come up with the idea of sharing the same wife. Sexual slavery, in short.

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By Bukko in Australia, August 20, 2006 at 4:09 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Oh, give it about 40 years, R.A. You’ll see fewer births then as the female shortage works its way through the demographic. Unless those Injun men start comin’ after our white wimmen! We gotta stop that. I suggest we get summa them to convert to bein’ GAY!

This rant brought to you by the Republican National White to Life Committee. Oopsie! We mean “Right to Life”...

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By R. A. Earl, August 19, 2006 at 8:10 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Murdering female foetuses, newborns and infants is perhaps a symptom or a sign that a much larger problem exists in a society… overcrowding!

Fewer females means fewer children I guess is the theory. Doesn’t seem to work does it?

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