Summary

The web content is a poignant narrative poem titled "Born To Die" that reflects on the tragic reality of female infanticide in India, juxtaposing the joy of birth with the societal prejudice against girls.

Abstract

"Born To Die" is a narrative poem that captures the stream of consciousness of a baby girl at the moment of her birth in India, where she transitions from the comfort of her mother's womb to the harsh reality of a society that devalues female life. The poem begins with the baby's anticipation of birth, describing the confines of the womb and the discomfort preceding delivery. As she is born, the baby experiences the joy of meeting her mother, only to be met with devastating rejection upon the revelation of her gender. The mother's hope for a son, which would have secured her place in her husband's life and ensured a better future for her children, is shattered. The baby girl, perceived as a burden and a bad omen, is denied maternal affection and is left in the dark, reflecting the broader issue of female infanticide in India. The poem concludes with a section titled "News Tidbits," which provides factual context to the narrative, highlighting the prevalence of female infanticide globally, particularly in India, and the cultural practices, such as the dowry system, that contribute to this grim reality.

Opinions

The poem conveys a critical opinion on the societal preference for male children over females in India, highlighting the tragic consequences of this bias.
The author expresses the idea that the dowry system places an unfair economic burden on families, contributing to the perception of daughters as liabilities.
The narrative suggests that the cultural practices and gender bias in India lead to the heartbreaking reality of female infanticide, with the baby girl's perspective emphasizing the injustice and emotional impact of this issue.
The poem implies that the value of a child, particularly a girl, is unfairly determined by societal norms rather than the inherent worth of the individual.
The author's use of the baby girl's voice serves to humanize the statistics of missing girls due to sex-selective abortions and infanticide, appealing to the reader's empathy.

Born To Die

Poetry — Baby’s stream of consciousness

Today, I am to be born.

My lonely life, and the days of darkness, are coming to an end very soon. ***

My home that had enough space to twist and turn, All of a sudden, squeezes me up, and seems to be shrunken.

The fluid pool that I enjoyed swimming in, Without any warning, gushes past my face as rapid stream, causing fear and suffocation.

The sound that I adored since four-month-old is no more that soft hymn, Rather a hollow ghastly scream of one, in writhing pain.

I have come to realization, Reaching out to stop that agony is my mission.

Guided through so very narrow path by rapid strong contraction, I push my head through, with all might and determination.

I can feel someone’s touch, My struggle is not in vain. I am pulled through the final exit, gently with caution.

I cry in joy, ready to fall in the hands of this beautiful woman. To feel safe in her arms, To drench in her affection.

She carried me in her womb, ignoring all discomfort and desires, since my conception.

Her sound had been my hope for survival, and my only motivation.

My ears listen to her with earnest concentration.

That painful cry turns into a deep sigh, Heart filled with hope, She asks, “Baby Boy?”

Hoping — that would end her misery, And to her man, she could return.

Hoping — none of her three girls had to live as an orphan.

Baby Boy can save her relationship with the man she love.

Future of her and her children depends on my gender identification.

The matron holding me, Announces with hesitation— My new world begins to spin, For I am called, “a baby girl”, In other term, “a bad omen”.

The woman I adore, screams in pain and anger.

She refuses to take me in her arms.

To my own, I have become a burden. I am “a baby girl”, a reason for any to abandon.

I am denied by the mother who gave me birth. But Not the*Mother Earth*.

I lie again in the dark and alone.

I wish, I was dead in her dark womb in asphyxiation.

If I had known, I am a “baby girl” to be born” an Indian”, To be buried alive, and to be gone…

News Tidbits:

India witnesses one of the highest female infanticide incidents in the world: study
It has been revealed that preference of son over daughter is a major reason for female infanticide in many countries around the world.
Dowry system in South Asia, which makes daughters, “an un-affordable economic burden”, contributes to female infanticide.
At least 117 million girls around the world demographically go “missing” due to sex-selective abortions.