Introduction – Tree on Disappearing Daughters, Mandya

The mara at Silver Jubilee Park in Mandya was gathered by around 200 people…this particular mara signifies the number of battles fought for independence during the freedom movement. Keeping this historical background in mind, the mara in Mandya was chosen to hear and speak about endless battles which women fight every day of their lives.

Mandya is known for its prosperity which hails from the cultivated lands, sugarcane exports etc. But on the other hand it is identified as one of the states with the lowest sex ratios in the state and country. Mandya is to be viewed with this broader context of violence against women that starts from before her birth.

The bias against the female is deeply rooted in a complex set of religious, economical, social and cultural factors and modern technology; through the development of new reproductive technologies, this bias has been exploited; strengthened patriarchal attitudes and institutions which aided and abetted a greedy and unscrupulous medical profession which in turn caused gendricide/femicide.

The discussions were mainly connected to the theme of the declining sex ratios.

The student audience spoke of the unnecessary importance rendered to the man in the family. One of them illustrated an incident saying, the boy siblings in her family do not fare well. They are slackers, while girls are more studious and hardworking.

The other women vented out their frustrations regarding the amount of money they need to pull together to get a daughter married; because of which they are discouraged to have daughters.

Also the piece of land which the girl’s family sells, in order to pay for the marriage expenses/dowry, to match up to the standards of the boy and his family, later raises the question of the girl’s property rights?

To quote the excerpts of the introduction given by Sunanda Jayaram, political activist from Karnataka Raita Sangha…

“The stake holders of the society have largely contributed to this ultimate and extreme form of devaluation and destruction of the woman” she also spoke of the “immediate importance of bringing these issues in the political mainstream and should be discussed in the assembly sessions”

There were several organizations which participated. Few of them mentioned here- Vikasana, AIDWA, ISI, Mahila Samakhya, Karnataka Raita Chaluvali, Rural Litercay Health Program, Dalita Sangharsha Samiti, Vimochana, SWARAJ.

Also present at the Marmara were students from the neighboring nursing and social work colleges.
 

Introduction >> Photos of the Marmara >>