Laadli campaign launched
By Nishit Kumar, director cause promotion, Dignity Foundation

Mumbai Mayor, Datta Dalvi delivers a speech at the launch of Laadli .

Movies have been known, ever since they were first introduced, to make one cry; plays have been known to touch many emotions. But when was the last time an event organised by an NGO left one with moist eyes and a feeling of pride that someone was standing up as well as a feeling of guilt about never even knowing the seriousness of an issue? Never! That was the reaction of a Mumbaikar, departing from the Tata Theatre, NCPA after the launch of Laadli Mumbai's Girl Child Campaign, on June 9, 2005 . It just about sums up the response of the city's celebrities and the hundreds of other citizens who came to the launch of Laadli by Population First.

Laadli , the program moniker for the girl child communication campaign in Mumbai, is the brainchild of Dr. A.L. Sharada , programme director. Why Laadli ? Dr Sharada 's thoughtful reply is Most people who have a daughter know the very special joy of bringing up a laadli daughter. We want people who are making a willful choice not to have a girl child know what they are missing; we also want them to know that most of their apprehensions about a girl have vanished. Today's daughters are not just equal to, but more than a match for sons, in their ability to bring fulfillment and happiness to parents. Laadli is our way of registering the message of celebrating the girl child's life.

Mandira Bedi leads the dignitaries on stage and the audience in reading out the pledge.

Dr. Sharada 's barely concealed angst about the sharp declines in the child sex ratio, the boy-girl ratio in the 0 to 6 years age group, in the city and across India is well-founded on data from around the world. Sex ratios are better where social and economic development leads to healthy nurturing of girls and the education and empowerment of women. Even in some Indian states like Kerala and the north-eastern states, better access to health care services, women's literacy and greater awareness of rights has all resulted in favourable boy-girl ratio in the 0 to 6 years age group. The low child sex ratio is thus a reflection of the general devaluing of women in society.

So what's with Mumbai? It is the city that paid over Rs. 42,000 crore as personal income-tax in the financial year ending March 2005. A city that prides itself as amongst the safest for women to work and travel in. And one that is home to India 's corporate sector and the world's largest film industry. But Mumbai does not value its daughters and has a shameful sex ratio of 898 girls per 1,000 boys in the 0 to 6 years age group.

Dr. Duru Shah, the President-elect of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) mentioned at another function organised by Population First, that a very well known industrialist couple came to her with the query: is it a boy? When Dr. Shah refused to confirm, they merely went to another gynaec and got what they wanted!

A rank of 473 out of the country's 593 districts, a girl child sex ratio worse than India 's villages, and one that cuts across the rich and poor sections of the city, in a powerful display of equality- this is Mumbai? The thought echoed off the acoustically rich Tata Theatre on the evening of June 9. The interesting display of posters in the foyer of the auditorium provided a bird's eye view of the issue and was greatly appreciated by the guests who had the time to mull over the figures and facts while sipping a hot cuppa.

Mr. Bobby' Sista's pre-event anxieties about the response of Mumbaikars to the issue were happily laid to rest as the seats were soon filled. Mr. Datta Dalvi, the Mayor of Mumbai, graciously agreed to be the Chief Guest and extended his enthusiastic support to the campaign.

Mr. Keshub Mahindra, Ms. Rajashree Birla, Dr. J.J. Irani, Mr. Nana Chudasama, Mr. A.N. Roy and a string of dignitaries from all walks of life came in steadily and were seated in anticipation. At 7 pm , the two screens hissed to life. Joe Cordo directed the evening's curtain raiser with a soul stirring song composed and written by his 18-year-old laadli , Dawn. Ruby Bhatia compered the show. In his speech, Mr. Mahindra confessed that over the years he had known Bobby, he hadn't yet figured out how to say no to him. Dr. Sharada presented the programme strategy for Laadli and the Mayor spoke passionately about Mumbai's Mulgis and their relevance to society. Queue Aap Qatar Mein Hain , a film produced by Population First was screened and received a strong and sustained applause for its stark and telling comment on the impact of unbridled population growth. Suneeta Rao, performed and presented her own film Laadli , featuring her delightfully impish niece. Mandira Bedi led the dignitaries on the stage and the audience in reading out the Laadli pledge.

Outstanding Mumbai laadli s, Anuja Thakur (first Indian to win the world women's billiards championship) Sanika Todankar (youngest girl in Maharashtra to swim the distance between Dharamtar, near Alibaug and the Gateway of India) and Pooja Shetty (leading the entertainment multiplex revolution in India ) were felicitated and given a huge ovation by the proud audience.

Shiamak Davar's Dancing Feat troupe featuring underprivileged girls performed with such gusto that many in the audience were seen cheering them with enthusiasm! Manjul Bhardwaj's street play Laadli , featured NSS volunteers from three city colleges, Sophia, Vaze and K.J. Somaiya. It was their onstage debut and they delivered a powerful message about the practice of sex selection by challenging the usual social justifications of the practice. It left many with moist eyes.

As the 1,000 strong gathering of the city's glitterati, government officials, and members of NGOs media and partner organisations headed home, the low but angry murmur was about how shameful that it should be happening in Mumbai and the fact that it was one of Mumbai's darkest and most well kept secrets. One went home contemplating how to thank Bobby Sista and his team at Population First that has launched what is undoubtedly a very important campaign - with the goal of reversing the low 0 to 6 years sex ratio in the next five years.

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