The Kerala High Court, in a recent development, denounced the practice of demanding a woman to give birth exclusively to male children and branded it as immoral.
The court's remarks came during the hearing of a plea filed by a woman who alleged that she was handed a note by her husband and his family on her wedding day, outlining instructions on conceiving a male child. She sought legal action under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994.
Justice Devan Ramachandran emphasized the need to put an end to the notion that female children are inferior, asserting, "This thing should stop, it has to stop. This feeling that a girl child is lesser than a boy child should stop…It is women who bring life to the Earth."
Questioning the legality of such demands made by in-laws or husbands, the court expressed concern over the demoralizing and unethical nature of such actions.
The husband and his family (father-in-law and mother-in-law) were impleaded as additional respondents in the matter and the court directed them to file their counter pleadings.
Advocate P M Rafeek appearing on their behalf submitted that the note was only a verbatim production of an article published in a magazine and was also available online. It was also argued that such allegations were now made by the woman since divorce and custody proceedings were pending between the parties in the Family Court. The matter has been posted for further hearing next week.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)
