Jharkhand’s Khunti Grapples With Problem Of Minor Mothers And Missing Babies

Khunti: The tribal district of Khunti which is barely 40 km from Jharkhand’s capital city of Ranchi has become infamous for minor girls becoming mothers of children often fathered by minor boys.

Sustained investigation by ETV Bharat over six months has led to some startling revelations that pose a big question mark on various claims of the authorities and also reflect some sad realities of an India that thrives away from the metros.

Statistics available from the government hospital revealed that the majority of these minor mothers continue to reside in their parental homes. There are very few girls living with their minor partners. A startling fact is that many such couples are without the children that were born. This leads to the all important question: where have these children gone?

The ETV Bharat team was assisted by social activists Laxmi Bakhla and Rukmini Devi alongside former Zila Parishad Chairman Jonika Gudiya.

It is a well-known fact that the tribal parts of Jharkhand have been hit by Naxalism for several decades. While the authorities claim to have reined in the Naxal menace, these areas have now been hit by the menace of drugs, mainly opium. Opium consumption is said to be one of the major reasons for minors indulging in sexual activity and producing children, about whom there is no data available with either the health authorities or the district administration.

An obvious inference that can be drawn is the lack of awareness regarding sexual behaviour. Scores of girls interviewed said that they were not aware that they would become pregnant after having sexual relations with the village youngsters with whom they were having a love affair or casual sex with pastoralists.

These girls also disclosed that, along with their male schoolmates, they are also into drinking alcohol and going out to the forests where they indulged in casual sex. Several girls said that their parents are also into alcohol consumption and hardly bother where their children are going or what they are doing. The parents never even bother to ask them, even if they are away from home for as long as a week.

Some girls further said that many times the boys took them to their homes or to the homes of their relatives where no one asked anything about them. It was only on experiencing changes in their bodies and having pains that they discovered their pregnancy. When they told their sexual partners about this the boys in many instances fled from their homes.

On returning to their parental homes, these girls were taken to the hospital where they delivered babies. Some other girls said that they fell in love with youngsters after not getting any attention from their parents or siblings who were often in an inebriated state. This association became a sexual one, and they got pregnant.

Data collected from Sadar Hospital revealed that 25 to 30 girls delivered babies but were not aware where the children went. They were told by their relatives that the baby had died or was aborted. Ironically, the doctors said that these girls had delivered healthy babies and both the mother and child were discharged in a healthy condition.

The social activists found in their interactions with these girls that the stigma of an unwed mother must have led the relatives or the father of the child to have given the baby or sold the child.

Laxmi Bakhla disclosed that many times, minors enter into casual sexual relationships without realising the consequences. Many get befriended, and this leads to sexual liaisons. “It is only on noticing changes in their body that they realize that they are pregnant. Many couples do not know anything about the institution of marriage. They follow the Dhuku tradition where a couple cohabits and is accepted later and quite often validated after the birth of a child.”

Dhuku is a social and cultural tradition that still prevails across Jharkhand, particularly among tribes like Santhal, Munda and Oraon. This is quite often linked to the live-in concept prevalent in the cities but is quite different on account of community beliefs and compulsions.

Laxmi Bakhla said that very few minor mothers had their children with them. She demanded a probe into the whereabouts of the children that have gone missing. Rukmini Devi said that since the minor girls are ignored by their families they get involved with youngsters and often land in such a situation.

On the other hand Jonika Gudiya said the phenomenon is prevalent across the district and the menace of drugs and alcoholism has added to it. “We need to brainstorm how to protect these minor girls. Even the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is not aware of the gravity of the situation,” she said.

Pointing out that this is a very serious matter the CWC Chairman, Tanushree Sarkar said that this calls for registration of cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. She said that whenever such cases are brought to the notice of the CWC, cases are registered under the POCSO and Juvenile Justice Acts. Referring to ETV Bharat’s investigation, she said, “The data at the Sadar Hospital will be investigated and legal steps will be initiated.”

“A Campaign will be undertaken about the Dhuku practice that is prevalent in the district. The lack of education and awareness along with the menace of drugs and alcoholism, is responsible for the prevailing scenario. In most of the cases the parents send youngsters with their partners under Dhuku,” she added.

Senior functionary at the Sadar Hospital Anand Oraon underlined the need for counselling of the minors from an early age. “Such instances can be curtailed only when there is social awareness. Children need to be told in schools about what is right and wrong and how to prevent pregnancy. Early pregnancy is neither good for the mother nor the child,” he said.

Civil Surgeon Nageshwar Manjhi pointed towards the opium cultivation in Khunti district and said this is also a factor to be considered. He disclosed that majority of such cases have been coming from Adaki and Murhu areas. He said that it is very difficult to trace the mother and child after they are discharged from the hospital. Manjhi further said that there has been no case of a fatality till now.

Manjhi further said that many times the children and the mothers fall prey to malnourishment. It is very difficult to trace what the relatives or fathers do with the children born to minors. He expressed the need for a concerted effort by the administration, health authorities, social and human rights activists to curtail the incidence. At the same time, he called for a campaign against drugs and alcoholism.

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