Hooda for mass awakening to check female foeticide

Karnal, Feb 24 (UNI) Terming female foeticide as a curse in the society, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that it could be eradicated only by launching a mass awakening campaign not only in the state but also in the entire country.

The Chief Minister was speaking on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th Diksha Jayanti of Shiri Manohar Muniji Maharaj organized by the Jain Samaj here.

He said that enacting laws and formulating different schemes would not help in removing the curse of female foeticide from society. "A sustained mass awakening campaign is the need of the hour", he added.

The Chief Minister claimed that with the joint effort of the judiciary and the state Government there had been a considerable improvement in the sex-ratio in the state. It was now around 893 females to a thousand males in some of the districts of the state.

He lamented that the sex-ratio in Karnal, Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts had not shown much of an improvement. He hoped that with the cooperation of the people the sex-ratio would be improved.

Referring to the demands of Jain Samaj, the Chief Minister announced that the road across Sector-13 and 14 in Karnal would be named as Ahimsa Road. He assured that the land for an eye hospital to be built by Jain Samaj would be given after examining it.

Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chief Juctice Vijender Kumar Jain who was also present said that Jain religion was not communal but it was for the welfare of total humanity. He further said that the evil of female foeticide needed to be curbed with the cooperation of all sections of the society. He asked the people to take a pledge to get rid of this evil.

Later the Chief Minister flagged off a 'Sankalp Rath Yatra' organised by Maharaja Aggarsain Charitable Trust to create public awareness among the people about female foeticide. The Rath Yatra would cover all the villages and towns of the state.

UNI HS VN1858