| You have completed a year in Rajasthan fighting sex-determination tests. You were doing media advocacy. Why did you shift to direct action? |
| We have been working on the issue since 2001. Media advocacy was important. In 2003, when the law was amended we found that it was not media support that was in question. |
| There was a certain void on the ground. The law was not being enforced. Everyone knew of the gravity of the situation; of girls being done away with before birth. But no one was translating this concern into action by enforcing the law. |
| Do you think the NGOs did not do enough on this? |
| The law imposes a role on civil society organisations. In fact if the issue of sex-determination tests and female foeticide continues till 2011 we will be equally responsible. We, as NGOs, are part of the advisory committees in districts. All public spirited people are allowed to witness the meetings of the committee. NGOs have a watch-dog role. |
| About the demand for sex determination? It is so common that a law may be not enough. |
| We are seeing the demand falling, if supply is regulated. It will discourage many people. The preference for sons is a reality, but we have to create enough processes to make sex-determination difficult and costly. Without this, talking of demand is crying in wilderness. |
| The government on its part is encouraging manufacturers of ultrasound machines. Health Minister Ramadoss 's own state has got the biggest international maker of ultrasound machines. |
| The problem has outstripped solution. The truth is that we have not used even a quarter of the legal solution. Talking of other things now is distracting. |
| What was your achievement in Rajasthan? |
| In Rajasthan ten of our 28 districts have a sex ratio between 850 and 900 girls per 1,000 boys. The national average is 927. We selected six of the worst districts. |
| When we went, no one had even heard of the law. They were aware of the problem but did not know how to bell the cat. We trained 70 NGOs and made six of them our partners in the six districts. |
| We were just trying to get the law implemented. If it is implemented regulary then it can discourage most of the illegal activities. |
| How many registrations of ultrasound clinics have been cancelled in these six districts in a year? |
| We have to go to court before we leave the state. We have to get the NGO partners to do that. We will leave only after the cases are filed. Otherwise it will all slip back to square one. |
| So is the effort wasted? |
| We have got six cancelled in Bhilwara. But three have been reopened again. It is like a sand castle |
| How are you taking it ahead? |
| We will replicate it in other states. Someone must be there to create local resources, get the NGOs, working on it together, get the lawyers and doctors motivated |
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