Dipa, Sakshi, Sindhu. Three women. Three names.
For India, it’s been an almost women-only Olympics – and the country can’t stop raving about Dipa Karmakar, PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik and about how awesome they are.
We agree. They are pretty awesome.
They need to be celebrated and saluted.
But, here’s the deal – within seconds of their Olympic wins, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp were flooded with messages: Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao? Nope. Beti Bachao, Beti Khilao.
“Save the girl child!” they said. “For Sakshi, Sindhu and Dipa have done us proud!”
“Save the girl child, because someday she may win you a medal.”
All of a sudden there is renewed interest in saving the girl child because three women have returned from the Olympics, giving you hope? All of a sudden, you must no longer abort that foetus, throw the girl in a ditch, marry her off at 14 because she may become an Olympic medallist?
Really? To win a shot at life, she needs to win you a medal?
What happens when the applause dies down? When you’ve forgotten the Olympic champions? Will you go back to aborting the girl child? Throwing her in a ditch? Marrying her off at 14?
Sakshi Malik, our Olympic bronze medallist, hails from Haryana – a state with the highest rate of female foeticides and honour killings, and the worst child sex ratio. Did you care before she won her medal?
Yes, save the girl child – educate the girl child – teach her wrestling, gymnastics and badminton too – but do it because she’s a person. And she deserves to live.
She does not need to prove her worth to you for you not to murder her.
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
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