By Quaid Najmi Pune, Jan 3 : Exactly 10 years ago today, a mild-mannered Pune medico Dr. Ganesh Rakh launched his unique 'Beti Bachao' crusade coinciding with the birth anniversary of the legendary social reformer Savitribai Jyotirao Phule (1831-1897). A decade since, the movement has bloomed into a worldwide campaign spanning over a dozen countries and more ready to join the initiative to strengthen the cause of the so-called 'weaker sex'. Nobody took the good doctor seriously when 10 years ago, he announced 'free delivery' of all female infants born at his Rakh's Medicare Hospital (RMH), and his family, society and medical fraternity uncharitably labelled him as a 'Paagal doctor' (Mad Doctor)! Undeterred, he passionately continued his small initiative at the RMH, which has till date recorded 2,014 deliveries of baby girls, and the 'Beti Bachao Jan Andolan' (BBJA), gradually drawing attention all over the country and even internationally. It was irrespective of the mother/family's financial status, whether normal (Rs 25,000), caesarian or complicated deliveries (Rs 60,000), all followed by a big celebration, besides free follow-ups and other medical treatment for the mother-female baby. In November 2021, the National Family Health Survey-5, Phase II (2019-2021) came out stating that now India has 1,020 females for every 1,000 males -- a dramatic improvement from 991 females:1,000 males in barely five years. Barely a year ago, there were concerns in officialdom as Indians still preferred the 'Ghar ka Chirag' over 'Ghar ki Laxmi', but the situation seems to have changed now, though there are many sceptics. "In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the laudable 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' to uphold the importance of the girl child... However, six years later, the concerns have increased and become more daunting, despite the NFHS-5 Phase II results," a worried Dr. Rakh told IANS. Like many experts, Dr. Rakh feels that the survey outcome is tentative and the real data can be expected only after the Census, which was postponed owing to the Covid pandemic last year. Nevertheless, he cautioned that "a depleting sex-ratio at birth would prove counter-productive in the long run on the socio-economic fronts with 'irreversible consequences' if not arrested promptly. He cites the Indian Economic Survey report (2017-2018), stating an estimated 63 million female feticides in India (pre-birth), the Lancet Medical Journal's 2018 report, saying that 'gender bias' killed over 2.40 million girls in the 0-5 age group (post-birth) in a 10-year period, merely because they were born females, and the 1998 Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen's statement of 37 million 'missing women' way back in 1990. At 10, The BBJA today has over 4,00,000 private Indian doctors, more than 13,000 NGOs/organisations and 26-lakh plus volunteers who are directly or indirectly striving to save the girl child, says Dr. Rakh proudly. An incredible sea-change in attitudes prevalent 10 years ago, when families openly abhorred the birth of a female baby, the mother and child were shamed by their family or community, women facing assaults inside or outside hospitals. There were die-hards who slank away without paying the hospitalisation bills if a female baby was born, others would dump them in gutters or garbage to be devoured by dogs or pigs, said Dr. Rakh of his experiences. The scenario has gradually changed with many families accepting their 'Ghar Ki Laxmi' and the affluent ones even paying or 'sponsoring' the delivery of some male child born to poor parents, or other forms of donation to the hospital or the BBJA cause, he added. Prominent proponents of BBJA include Haji Syed Salman Chishty, the 'Gaddi Nashin' (hereditary custodian) of the world-renowned Ajmer Sharif Dargah and 26th direct descendant of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddeen Hasan Chishty (1142-1236 AD), several Bollywood personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Director Naggraj Manjule ("Sairat") and more. "Islam welcomes the birth of a female child as 'Huzoor Ka Salaam' (Greetings of the Prophet)... Even the Hindu culture salutes her as 'Goddess Laxmi', so why should there be any discrimination," Chishty observed at a BBJA rally in Jaipur. BBJA fame crossed the boundaries to reach the US, the UK, Canada, Australia Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Malawi, Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Middle-East and North Africa, and other countries with similar campaigns launched with Dr. Rakh's mentorship. Born to extremely poor parents, the bright boy completed his entire education on scholarships and now Dr. Rakh says he is 'repaying' the old debts to society through the BBJA, with full support of his wife Trupti, daughter Tanisha and son Adhiraj. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) /IANS