Trucks in MP to carry slogans for girl child

Awareness slogans such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao will add to the list of catchphrases painted on trucks in Neemuch and other western Madhya Pradesh districts.

This is part of Indian Revenue Service officer HN Meena and his wife’s campaign on social issues, especially on the girl child.

The 2004-batch officer, who is now general manager of the Government Opium and Alkaloid Plant, and wife Hemlata hit upon the idea to put social slogans on trucks after seeing some catchy phrases on lorries plying on the highway between Jaipur and Neemuch. “We immediately decided to take the truckers’ help to create social awareness. On Monday, we went to the Nayagaon toll gate on the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border and discussed the matter with a few drivers. Most of them readily extended their support,” Meena said.

The couple has been leading the campaign to save the girl child in this region. Meena recently felicitated several meritorious school and college girls. He also honoured mothers of girls.

“The objective is to prevent female foeticide, ensure survival and protection of the girl child, and secure their education.”

According to the 2011 census, Madhya Pradesh has a ratio of 912 girls in the below six years age group for 1,000 boys of the same age. The national ratio is 919: 1,000.

“The child sex ratio reflects pre-birth discrimination through gender-biased sex selection and post-birth discrimination against girls,” Meena said.

“If you look at Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya, where women play a major role in decision-making or they have a good status in the social structure, these states have a good sex ratio.”

INDIA’S SEX RATIO STATUS

1951 – 946

1961 – 941

1971 – 930

1981 – 934

1991-- 927

2001 – 933

2011 – 940

CSR AND SR IN MADHYA PRADESH

As per the 2011 census, Madhya Pradesh child sex ratio (CSR) is 912 per 1000 of boys (0-6), compared to 919 across the country between 0-6 years of age, while 930 over-all of Madhya Pradesh compared to 940 of the country.