They all got rid of the name 'Nakoshi', which means unwanted in Marathi
"Unwanted" is what 265 girls in Satara district were called until today. In
a public renaming ceremony held on Saturday, all the girls got rid of the
name "Nakoshi" meaning unwanted in Marathi, and hopefully, the humiliation
that came with it.
Owing to a "tradition" that reflects gender bias, several parents in the
region have named their third or fourth daughter Nakoshi, in the hope that
the next child will be a boy. In a recent survey, district health officials
realised that this was a rampant practice in Satara. In a bid to undo the
damage, and spread awareness about protecting the girl child, the district
administration organised a public event to rename and honour the girls.
Waiting for her renaming ceremony to start, 10-year-old Nakoshi Bavdhane
told The Hindu that she is the fourth girl born to her parents. "I am happy
that my name has been changed. It was embarrassing to say my name whenever
anyone asked," she told The Hindu. Asked what the new name was, her mother
Janabai struggled to remember. "Hey, Nakoshi, what's the name?," she asked
her daughter. "Aishwarya," she replied. "It is so difficult. I don't know if
I will get used to saying it," Janabai said, grinning. Asked why she had
named her daughter Nakoshi, she states without any hint of guilt, "We were
tired. We had three daughters, and on top of that she was born. So we wanted
to tell God, enough." She is proud when she says, "I had two sons after
her."
For the full story, please Logon:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2562990.ece?homepage=true
No comments:
Post a Comment