I saw this headline in the news
Parents disown newborn girls, want boys
The news was as follows
Chennai: Two babies were born within a few minutes of each other in a Chennai hospital: a baby boy to Farida and a baby girl to Kamakshi. But the hospital staff mixed up the identity tokens and handed over Farida's boy to Kamakshi.Later they tried to rectify the error but Kamakshi's family refused to accept the girl child "My grandchild was a son and I want my son,” said girl child's grandparent, B Annamalai.The authorities have now decided to order a DNA test to resolve the issue.
Before the tribe of Chennai baiters rushes to the predictable conclusion that this a ‘madrassi’ craze here is a similar news item from Mumbai amazingly on the same day.
Meanwhile in a similar case, no DNA test could help three-month-old Khushi Jaiswal in Mumbai. Khushi was abandoned at the Lokmanya Tilak hospital at birth because the Jaiswals insisted the hospital swapped their male child with her.
Though a DNA test has proven that Khushi is indeed Jaiswals’ child, the family refuses to accept her.
Hospital authorities say that if Khushi's parents don't accept her willingly, they might have to consider giving her for adoption."
"She needs to be taken to a good family, she can’t be kept at a hospital forever,” said Dean, Lokmanya Tilak hospital, Suleman Merchant.
Khushi's parents are now caught in a legal battle over the issue.
This preference for the male child is an age old and tragic phenomenon in many societies not just in
But that is not the point I wish to make.
My request to you is as follows
Assume that we are in the pre-DNA test days, Assume also that the ‘hindu’ child was given to the Muslim woman and vice versa, Then fast forward your mind to say thirty years from now. You meet the ‘hindu ‘ girl [now a Muslim ] and ask her about her views about Islam and hinduism . Also meet the boy who was born from the womb of the Muslim woman but was brought up in a hindu family. What will their beliefs, attitudes, comments about their own and the ‘other’ faith be ?
What does your exercise tell you about the source of religious beliefs? Are they inborn or cultivated? What would happen if parents did not indoctrinate their kids on religion and instead exposed them to all religions with all their contradictions?
In the light of your findings how do we treat religions hereafter ? Is it justified to hate and kill others in the name of religion ?Is it right to say that ‘my religion is the only authentic one’ , ‘the only one that will lead to salvation?’
I wish to leave you to do the exercise. I have done this many times and I could write a book on my findings.
K.R.RAVI
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