JEYPORE, February 7: Kamala left her child near the hospital campus. Sukuri deserted her illegitimate child. Mandi too left her child on a temple veranda.On an average, three such cases are reported in the district every month. Of late, such inhuman incidents in the tribal areas have increased either because some unwed mothers don't have the guts to face the world or because they are deserted by their husbands or because they lack the financial security required to bring up a child.
Investigations reveal that the number of unwed mothers has gone up considerably in tribal areas. Even minor girls reportedly give birth to children before marriage.
Contrary to the age-old tribal practice of getting girls married to persons from the same caste and soon after puberty, tribals have started accepting outsiders as prospective grooms. Since the grooms or husbands do not belong to the same caste, they desert the womenfolk.
``Outsiders of the 20-40 age group lure minor tribal girls for marriage and afterestablishing a relationship for some days, desert them,'' alleged some tribal elders in the district. These outsiders first woo the parents of the tribal girls by treating them to liquor and paying hefty amounts to tempt them into giving their girl in marriage.
Even after marriage, the men desert their wives during pregnancy and attach themselves to some other girl. This is possible because of tribal laws which give men the right to marry more than once. ``Taking advantage of the tribal law, they desert the women during pregnancy and this deprives the children of a normal upbringing,'' the tribals further alleged.
In certain cases, unwed pregnant mothers deserted by their prospective grooms give birth to children in some unknown places, some even choosing to give birth in hospitals with fake identity, it is learnt.
According to reports, seven such cases were reported last month and newborn babies were found in Jeypore, Koraput, Sunabeda and Kotpad areas. Only one could be rescued by socialworkers.
Sources said that when minor girls give birth to illegitimate children, both the mother and child face serious health hazards. In a bid to abort an illegitimate child in the last stage of pregnancy, the girls consume herbal medicines without consulting doctors.
The absence of social organisations to deal with the problem has added to the woes of the unwed mothers, women deserted by husbands and children who are illegitimate or who don't have a normal upbringing. The district neither has a home for abandoned women nor an orphanage. The literacy rate being too low, tribal girls frequently fall prey to outsiders, who exploit them.
A few social activists of the region, expressing shock over the growing trend, have urged the district administration to set up a welfare cell which can, if not check the exploitation of tribal girls, at least offer them protection for a better tomorrow.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
