Piplantri Village In Rajasthan Celebrates Birth Of Baby Girls!
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Muniza Ashraf- 5 minutes read
India is set to become one of the largest technology hubs in the world in the coming times but on the other hand, is still gripped with primitive traditions. Such is the reality of this nation. Among various outdated traditions and mindsets, one that continues to haunt many cities and villages of India is the stigma surrounding the birth of ‘girls’ into the families.
Their birth brings shame to their families. Moreover, the preference is given to the boys due to several reasons; mainly because of the laws governing the passing of property and the large, ridiculous amount of dowry that is given to the parents of the boys. However, one man has changed the course of such mentality, traditions involving female foeticide and child marriages in his village called ‘Piplantri’.
In Piplantri village of Rajasthan, the birth of baby girls is celebrated; courtesy of one man.
After the loss of his own beloved daughter, Shyam Sundar Paliwal decided to make sure every girl in his village thrives as much as their male counterparts; gets educated, pursues her own dreams at her own choice and not forced into marriage at a young age. For starters, he introduced the tradition of planting 111 saplings at the birth of a baby girl. Due to this scheme, now once a barren land of Rajasthan is now graced with 3.5 lakh trees.
Speaking about his vision, determination, and plans, Sundar said, “August 21, 2006 was the saddest day of my life, when my daughter Kiran, 16, returned from school with stomach pain. Despite been taken to hospital, she could not be saved. It was a terrible loss. But I decided my daughter shall stay with me forever. I also decided that each person in the village shall feel the pride to be a parent of a daughter.”
He continued, “At that point, I launched the Kiran Nidhi Yojana on my daughter’s name. Around 62-65 girls are born in our village each year. My aim is to prevent female foeticide, provide quality education and protect them from the curse of child marriage.”
A 10th pass man with a revolutionary vision proves to be ahead of many with higher-degrees.
A man who only studied till 10th standard went on to establish cutting-edge modern solutions making his village eco-friendly and crime-free. Shyam Sundar convinced the parents of his village to make deposits for their girls in an FD account, which can only be withdrawn once their daughters are of age. In precise numbers, 10,000 Rs from the parents and 31,000 Rs from donors is collected and saved; this, in turn, ensures safety for their bright future.
Moreover, the parents of this village pledge to educate their daughters and marry them off only when they are of legal age. Now, with the introduction of deposit and plantation of 111 trees, the daughters once seen as a financial burden are seen in a new light. In addition, the plants planted by the family take ownership of their care.
Video coverage of this beautiful little village.
Few corrective measures – Several advantages.
Shyam Sundar’s farsighted vision corrected many faults within his village with just a few measures. Today, this village has all modern facilities, including eco-friendly gas stoves, toilets, and solar light. Moreover, the women of this village are empowered and are encouraged to go out and work.
This story of one man changing the entire course of his village including the fate of every girl born into Piplantri, is truly revolutionary. The women of this village stand tall as they are the decision-makers of the matters concerning their lives. Further, with the future of young girls secure, this village is bound to make great waves in the entire India where women are considered as lesser beings.
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