By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, Justice (retd) KG Balakrishnan ruled out the allegations of male infanticide in Meghalaya. However, the Commission on Wednesday directed the State Government to conduct a detailed study to find out the actual reasons which compel women in Khasi matrilineal society to abandon a child immediately after giving birth to it.
After hearing the case here, NHRC Registrar (Law) AK Garg said that they have been made to understand by the Government officials that cases of women abandoning their newly born babies is not due to male infanticide or killing of any specific gender but because of fear of social ostracism due to pregnancy out of wedlock.
He said that the Government officials have made a reference to 14 such cases where women have abandoned their child after giving birth.
Out of the 14 cases, Garg said that the Government officials informed there are two cases where the abandoned babies are girls while the rest are boys.
Meanwhile, Balakrishnan said that after receiving the complaints, they have immediately ruled out the possibilities of ‘male infanticide’ in Meghalaya.
“We are fully aware that in this part of the country such kind of things does not take place,” Balakrishnan said while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
