If the sex ratio in our country does not improve, prepare to see a lot more rakhi-less wrists in the future.
Rakshabandhan is one of our most beloved festivals. The tying of rakhi, the exchange of gifts, and gorging on sweets are all cherished traditions. India, however, is going through a major social change which, if left unchecked, will mean dire things for the future of this festival.
Ahead of Rakshabandhan, let us turn our eye upon the troubling fact of India’s current sex ratio. In the infographic below, you can see for yourself the number of states where the skewed sex ratio is rapidly approaching crisis levels.
Sex ratio simply refers to the number of females per 1,000 males in any given area.
The Population Census of 2011 reveals that the population ratio of India in that year is 943 females per 1,000 males.
As you can see, Kerala tops the chart with 1,084 females per 1,000 males while Haryana takes the lowest spot with only 879 females per 1,000 males.
The most troubling part is that the country’s sex ratio for the last five decades, instead of improving rapidly, has been stuck at around 930.
If we talked in averages, we could say that this means that a woman in any given household can find as many rakhi-brothers as she wants, but things aren’t quite so simple.
The two-child principle, no longer restricted to the upper classes, has quickly caught on with the middle and lower classes. There is even a new trend in families where after the first kid turns out to be a boy, they put a full stop to all procreation.
What better occasion to talk about this deeply troubling imbalance within the country than Rakshabandhan? Only when female foeticide and sex-based discrimination is eradicated completely can we say that we truly honour the spirit of this festival.
(This story was first published on QuintHindi.)
(We all love to express ourselves, but how often do we do it in our mother tongue? Here's your chance! This Independence Day, khul ke bol with BOL – Love your Bhasha. Sing, write, perform, spew poetry – whatever you like – in your mother tongue. Send us your BOL at bol@thequint.com or WhatsApp it to 9910181818.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)