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“It’s a Boy!”: Film on gender determination

Kavita CHARAN)!, New Delhi
‘Oh God, I beg of you
[touch your feet time and again
Next birth don't give me a
daughter
Give me hell instead."
— An old folk song from Uttar Pradesh, India
Truly India has alarming gender ratios. In the age group of zero to six years, the girl child sex ratio had declined from 945 in 1991 to 927 per 1,000 males in 2001. Some states such as Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are poorer than the national average. The situation has deteriorated even further with a proliferation of clinics specialising in sex determination tests.
In such a milieu, independent film maker Vani Subramanian’s latest film, "It's a Boy! (It's Going to be a Boy)" adds to the public debate around gender-determination. From doctors, religious leaders, the government and public, much discussion surrounds the issue. Some cause for alarm is the justification of the procedure. Take the voice of Dr. Anoop Gupta who questions whether India wants to go the way of Thailand with its promiscuity. In his words, "With too many women, there could be a growth of the sex trade."
Then there is Renuka Chowdury, minister for Women and Child Development. While she says that she did not face gender discrimination at home though there were only girls, she did encounter the inequality when her daughters were bom. “The dai (midwife) said I don't want money because you have had a girl."
The film travels to Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi and Shillong. In Varanasi, Vani tried to explore the Hindu cultural beliefs that afreet such choices. The matriarchal Khasi tradition of Shillong, she points out, has faced much opposition from men. "In Shillong I realised that women may rule the roost at homes, but not so much outside. The dynamics are very fluid." Why Shillong and not the states such as Punjab and Haryana where sex determination is rampant? In her words, "I said that I wanted to sec the ground realities and there has already been much press coverage of these states."
The film was a part of three others that formed a series -- all dealing with the subject of gender, sexuality and reproductive rights.
As for religion, she believes that the Sikhs are the only community to have a clear perspective on sex determination. Why not cover Islam? According to Vani, "I didn't talk to Islamic leaders because they have not said anything significant though they broadly espouse a pro-life position...there has never been a fatwa on abortion. I didn't want to get into the debate because there was no clear stand on the issue."
The film was six-eight months in the making. For those interested in gender issues, it is a landmark and well worth watching.