हे माँ ! बेटी मैं तेरी

In India, women are worshipped and revered in every form. She symbolizes courage & strength in the form of "Shakti", "Durga", "Kali", Vindhyavasini", "Saptshringhi", "Vaishnodevi" who crushed demons, asuras, rakshas and all form of evil in the world to usher harmony in the universe. She is also "Saraswati" the goddess of learning & fine arts. At the same time, she is also "Mahalaxmi" the goddess of wealth and prosperity who is worshipped every day. In an Indian household and society, the women have always been accorded a highly revered status in every relationship—that of the mother, sister and wife.

Many Indian states follow a matriarchal system whereby all family decisions must have the acceptance of the women of the house who also enjoy property inheritance rights. The divorce rates have been one of the lowest in the world—over 97-98% marriages survive lifelong in our country. The Indian women have been increasingly acquiring highest positions in the political, scientific, technical, space, medical, administration, defense services as well as in the corporate and business-world.

Yet these progressive developments cannot hide one of the worst impending "gender" crises our country is facing and that is - a rapid depletion of women's population.

The last census has revealed a sharp decline in the female to male ratio of children in the 0-6 age group from 945 to 927. This sudden fall in the number of girls in the youngest age group is believed to be proof of the increased incidence of sex selective abortions—or female foeticide—following sex determination through the abuse of medical technologies such as ultrasound scanning and amniocentesis.


At present, the law governing prenatal diagnostic techniques, enforced during the year 1996 in our country is totally inadequate and ineffective.

However, several steps have been taken by the government agencies and social organizations to eradicate this social menace. Still lots of efforts are required to change the psyche.  Hopefully in the future a girl child may find more and more acceptance in the Indian homes.

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Influenced by the above fact,  Rishika very recently gave a recitation of her poetry during a competition. She had tried poetry writing with the help of her parents. Through this poem she had voiced the concern of an unborn girl child who passionately urges her mother to save her life. She prays to her mother to let her also give a chance to come in this world. She promises that she will certainly bring joy to the family. She gives examples of today’s great women who had earned name, fame and brought glory to the family and country. She questions that in spite of all this achievements why a girl is still not required in the family ???

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हे माँ ! बेटी मैं तेरी........ 

हे माँ ! बेटी मैं तेरी, मुझको भी जीवन देना । 
मरूँ नहीं मैं कोख में तेरी, ऐसा एक वचन देना ।।

आऊँगी जब घर में तेरे, शोक न तू मन वाना ।
थाली बजा कर, गली- मोहल्ले लड्डू- पेड़े बटंवाना ।। 

छाया बन आंचल की तेरी, घर में खुशियाँ बिखराऊँगी ।
मधुर किलकारियों से अपनी, मन हर्षित कर जाँऊगीं ।। 

न करने देना चुल्हा-चौका, स्कूल में मुझको पढ़वाना ।
स्लेट-कापी मुझे है प्यारी, ड्रेस मेरी भी सिलवाना ।।

चाँद-तारोँ के स्वप्न मेरे, बन “सुनीता” अंतरिक्ष उडूगीं ।
“कल्पना” सी निर्भय मैं, नाम कुटूम्ब का अमर करूगीं ।।

पापा! शायद नाराज होंगे, लड़की फिर से घर आयेगी ।
पुरुष-प्रधान इस समाज में, साख उनकी गिर जायेगी ।।

माँ! तुम उनको समझाना, नहीं बेटी अब “पराया धन” ।
पैरों पर स्वयं के खडी, आत्म-सम्मान की प्रेरणा बन ।।

अपराधी हैं थर-थर कापें, जब है पडे “किरन” का डंण्डा ।
विख्यात “मग्सेसे” से सम्मानित, ऊंचाँ करे राष्ट्र का झंडा ।।  

“सायना” और “सानिया” ने, रोशन देश का नाम किया है ।
विश्वविजेता “मैरी कॉम” ने, संघर्ष को नया आयाम दिया है ।।

है याद आती “लक्ष्मी बाई”, क्रांती का जिसने बिगुल बजाया ।
धन्य! माँ “टेरेसा” का, दुखियों को जिसने मरहम लगाया ।।

सत्‌-सत्‌ नमन माँ दुर्गा का, दानव जाति जिससे हारी है ।
पुरुष को जिसने जन्म दिया, वो माता भी एक नारी है ।।

माँ ! फिर जन्म मेरा, समाज में क्यों अभिशाप बना ?
कन्या गर्भ में होना, तेरे लिये क्यों महापाप बना ?  

हे माँ ! बेटी मैं तेरी, मुझको भी जीवन देना  ।
मरूँ नहीं मैं कोख में तेरी, ऐसा एक वचन देना  ।।



 -रिशिका

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