In yet another heartbreaking incident of violence against children, a month-old baby girl was allegedly drowned by her own father in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The incident happened in Regunta village of Charla mandal on Tuesday. According to reports in Telugu media, Adabala Surya Teja (30) married K Akhila of Kalamgumpu (Seelamkatti) two years ago. The couple became parents to a baby girl one year ago. A month ago Akhila gave birth to a second girl child.
Akhila left the baby at home for some time early in the morning. On returning, she found the baby in a water tank near the house. Suspecting Surya Teja, locals tied him to a tree and questioned him, before handing him over to the local police.
The crime happened less than a month after a similar incident in neighbouring Warangal Rural district where a grandfather killed a newborn baby girl by stuffing grains of paddy into her mouth.
Speaking to TNM, Bhadradri Kothagudem SP Sunil Dutt said, “According to prima facie information, the accused drowned his daughter as he didn’t wish to have a baby girl. His past also suggests that he had developed certain tendencies to commit such a crime, and investigation is underway.”
The SP further added, “We have arrested Surya Teja, we will send him to judicial remand soon and file the chargesheet within 15 days. We will seek a fast track prosecution in this case.”
What’s killing our girls?
Prof K Suneetha Rani, faculty at the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of Hyderabad, said that such killings cannot be seen as isolated incidents but as a part of the violence happening towards women at each stage in society.
Prof Suneetha observed, “There is a need to understand the roots and ideology that is driving people to think and act like that. Unless we know the source or root cause, we cannot produce change with campaigns and mere policies.”
While noting that social constructs, notions and pressures are responsible for perpetuating the violence on women, she further added, “We can bring change if we are able to see how people perceive inequality, what are the challenges of bringing up a girl child, and if people see men as superior compared to women.”
Dr Siliveru Harinath, Senior Research Fellow at Hyderabad’s Centre for Economic and Social Studies, said that poverty, lack of education, and a patriarchal belief system are the causes behind such extreme acts.
He observed, “It’s not just men who practise patriarchy but also women. They also prefer a boy baby over a girl. These issues can only be addressed if we address poverty and lack of education.”