इन हाथों से ऐसा अकृत्य

Summary

The text discusses the societal shift in India from a restrained, joint-family lifestyle to one influenced by Western materialism and technology. It describes how population growth led to government family planning campaigns, which contributed to the breakdown of joint families and a preference for smaller families, often with a desire for two sons and one daughter. This preference, combined with medical testing during pregnancy, led to the practice of female feticide, where women themselves are depicted as the primary agents in aborting female fetuses. The narrative provides examples of women undergoing sex-selective abortions, often facilitated by greedy doctors despite legal prohibitions. It then focuses on the psychological consequences for women who commit this act, describing feelings of guilt, depression, and a loss of interest in life, leading them to seek help from doctors, tantrics, or religious rituals without finding peace. The text argues that such suffering is a result of the sin committed and suggests that atonement and a strong resolve to never repeat the act are necessary for redemption. It proposes that women who have experienced this can play a crucial role in preventing others by sharing their stories. A fictional example is given of a woman named Sarita, who, after aborting a five-month female fetus, is visited by the spirit of the fetus, which urges her to educate other women against female feticide to ensure a harmonious future. The text concludes by emphasizing the need for women to take a collective vow against this practice and to live with awareness, as illustrated by Sarita’s ongoing campaign against female feticide.