Oh boy! My Country’s Obsession for a Boy Child Refuses to Die

It’s a boy!

Those are the only magical words that soothe the ears of many in my country. They can’t afford to hear, “It’s a girl!”

It’s the 21st century and we talk about equality, empowerment, and progress.

Yet, the obsession for a boy child has not died down. People pray, take spiritual vows, fast for days, and perform all sorts of rituals just to hear those magical words from the delivery room: “It’s a boy.”

The preference for a boy child or a girl child is quite natural, but complete dislike for a girl child is abominable.

What happens here when it’s a girl child

In reality, things are quite the opposite. There are some families who do celebrate the arrival of their baby girl with all their heart. However, in many instances, the excitement surrounding the birth of a girl child is minimal. I have heard sad accounts from various people who have told me that some baby girls have been left alone, abandoned, deserted, or dumped just because they were born as girls and not boys.

I recently got to read an extremely strange case wherein a family left their two-year-old daughter alone on a highway near Pune city because the baby girl was supposedly bringing bad luck and affecting their business.

Imagine how scared and lonely the innocent little girl would have been after being left alone like this. Would their parents ever realize what they had done?

A child (a boy or a girl) is a gift from God

It is high time we realize that these children are entrusted to us. We do not create life through our own efforts alone. There is something far greater at work.

Ask me about it.

My husband and I waited for years. We went through countless treatments, miscarriages, disappointments, and prayers before we were finally blessed with a baby. To us, our child is nothing short of a miracle.

That is why I believe we are more than caretakers. We are custodians of precious lives entrusted to us for a purpose.

Why does this obsession still exist

The main reason is a deeply rooted patriarchal mindset. There are many people who think that only a male child should continue the family name or legacy.

I faced similar questions even before my baby was born.

Luckily, my husband and I were secretly hoping for a little girl. This is not because we didn’t want to love a son. No, it is just a preference.

However, the reality is that when that child comes, all of this means nothing.

It could be either, but a gift from God nonetheless.

They are human beings who need to be loved, cared for, protected, and provided with all possible opportunities for prosperity.

Only a progressive outlook can change this.

Along with the upbringing, the education has a great role here.

The small state where I come from has more than 94% literacy rate, and to a large extent, they don’t have this weird obsession. I wouldn’t say they are 100% immune to it. Recently, they decided to include a lesson where children learn how to contribute to their parents’ household chores. How touching! That was so heartwarming. It shows equal responsibility, no matter what gender you belong to. The picture depicts a father scraping coconut and a mother doing some other chore. The lesson that the child gets is invaluable. Something that I often get to see in my house.

In my country, at most only 40% reach 10th grade, and a mere 10% graduate with a university-level degree. So that says it all.

I think one’s religion also plays a big role here.

We still see women forced to sleep separately or on the floor during their days of periods. Even today, they are seen as someone destined for the household chores.

Political Parties have a big role

Sadly though, on the last day, I happened to hear a politician say that a girl child should sit at home and not have to do education.

Bizzarre, right? This very mentality holds us back, pushing society backward. If we do not provide a girl with an education, not only do we deprive her of a chance but also an entire community, including her parents, of all the possible benefits she would bring in the future.

A mere women’s bill to appease the citizens is not going to save women in this country; rather, the outlook has to change. The core has to change.

The syllabus should focus more on the merits of personalities such as Rani Lakshmibhai, Sarojini Naidu, Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddi, Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Mary Kom, and so forth.

Where the whole world is progressing, where technology is replacing us in every trivial thing we do, we are moving backwards.

Perhaps the day we stop asking whether the baby is a boy or a girl and start celebrating the miracle of life itself, we will finally call ourselves a truly progressive society.