‘Abantwana Baxabisekile, Kodwa Ukuba Noonyana Kubalulekile’
Ekubeni kukho abemi abangaphezu kwama-850 ezigidi nomlinganiselo wokuzala wabangama-31 kwi-1 000 ngalinye, eIndiya kuzalwa iintsana ezinokuba zizigidi ezingama-26 nyaka ngamnye, nani elo elilingana nelabemi baseKhanada. Ayimangalisi into yokuba elinye lawona maphulo angxamisekileyo karhulumente yinkqubo yokulawula ukwanda ngephanyazo kwabemi bakhona. Le nkqubo iphumelela kangakanani? Yiyiphi eminye yemiqobo ejamelana nayo?
ICEBISO elithi “Ngaphambi Kweminyaka Engama-20, Hayi! Emva Kwengama-30, Akunjalo konke konke! Abantwana Ababini Kuphela—Kuhle!” libhalwe kolunye lwamaxwebhu amibalabala naxhonywe kwipaseji yokungena kwikliniki yocwangciso-ntsapho eBombay, eIndiya. Olunye uxwebhu lunomfanekiso womama oxhwalekileyo nongqongwe ngabantwana abahlanu. Lunesilumkiso esithi: “Ungazisoli Kamva!” Kubalaseliswa oku: Abantwana ababini entsatsheni banele. Kodwa ukwenza abantu bamkele baze basebenzise inkqubo enconyelwa ngurhulumente yokuba nabantwana ababini entsatsheni akulula.
Incwadi ethi Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies ithi: “AmaHindu athi ulonwabo lwendoda luxhomekeke kwinani labantwana enabo. Eneneni, kuwo, abantwana bagqalwa njengentsikelelo yekhaya. Enoba inkulu kangakanani na intsapho yendoda, ayize iyeke ukuthandazela ukuba yande.” Noko ke, ngokwembono yonqulo, ngumntwana oyinkwenkwe oyintonga yasekhosi kasokhaya. Le ncwadi ihlabela mgama isithi: “Akukho lishwa lifana nelokungashiyi nyana okanye umzukulwana oyinkwenkwe wokwenza imisebenzi enxibelelene nomngcwabo wakhe. Elo shwangusha ligqalwa njengelinokude libangele ukuba indoda iporhe.”
Kwakhona oonyana bayafuneka ukuze benzele iminyanya amadini, okanye israddha. UA. L. Basham ubhala oku kwiThe Wonder That Was India: “Ubuncinane unyana omnye angade anele. Imvakalelo eqhelekileyo kumaHindu aseIndiya yokuthanda intsapho gqitha yakhuthaza umnqweno wokuba noonyana, okunokuthi ngokungabikho kwabo umnombo wenzala ubhange.”
Kunye nezi nkolelo zonqulo, uthunywashe oqhelekileyo nophembelela umnqweno wokuzalwa koonyana lilungiselelo elingokwesithethe eIndiya lentsapho emanyeneyo, okanye ekhulisiweyo, lokuba oonyana abatshatileyo baqhubeke behlala nabazali babo. UGqr. Lalita S. Chopra weCandelo Elinyamekela Impilo Nentlalo-ntle Yentsapho Eliphantsi KoMasipala EBombay, ucacisa esithi: “Iintombi ziyatshata zize ziye kuhlala emizini yazo apho zendele khona, kodwa oonyana bahlala nabazali ekhaya; ibe abazali bancwase ukuba oonyana babo babanyamekele xa besaluphala. Le yinto abathembele ngayo. Abazali baziva benqabisekile xa benoonyana ababini. Ngoko lisengqiqweni elokuba, ukuba isibini sibafumene abo bantwana babini kucetyiswa ukuba sibe nabo kwaye bobabini ingamantombazana, phantse kunokwenzeka ukuba siya kuqhubeka sizama de sifumane inkwenkwe.”
Nangona xa kuthethwa kusithiwa bonke abantwana bagqalwa njengesipho esivela kuThixo, oko kwenzekayo ngokwenene kubomi bemihla ngemihla kubonisa okwahlukileyo. I-Indian Express inikela le ngxelo: “Ukungahoywa kwabantwana abangamantombazana xa begula kucacile. Ukuphila kwabo akugqalwa njengento ebaluleke ngokwenene kubukho bentsapho.” Le ngxelo icaphula uhlolisiso olwenziwe eBombay nolubonisa ukuba kwiimveku ezingekazalwa ezingama-8 000 eziqhomfwayo emva kokuxilongwa ukuze kubonwe enoba yinkwenkwe okanye yintombazana, ezingama-7 999 yayingamantombazana.
Umzabalazo Onzima
Kudliwano-ndlebe naye, uGqr. S. S. Sabnis, igosa eliyintloko kwezempilo kuMasipala WaseBombay, ucacisa esithi: “Entsatsheni, ngokuqhelekileyo yindoda eyenza isigqibo sokuba imele ibe nabantwana abangaphi na nokuba iya kuba nkulu kangakanani na intsapho.” Nokuba umfazi angathanda ukungangxuleli okanye ukuba kubekho abantwana abambalwa entsatsheni, utsaliswa nzima yindoda yakhe esenokungafuni nokuva ngaloo nto. “Kungenxa yoko le nto sithumela indoda nomfazi kwikhaya ngalinye kula mabobosi sinethemba lokuba unontlalo-ntle oyindoda uya kukwazi ukuthetha nosokhaya aze akhuthaze ukuba nentsapho elinganiselweyo, emnceda aqonde ukuba unokubanyamekela kakuhle abantwana abambalwa.” Kodwa njengoko sesibonile, kusekude eBhakubha.
UGqr. Sabnis uthi: “Phakathi kwabantu abangamahlwempu, umlinganiselo wokufa kweentsana uphezulu ngenxa yeemeko ezimbi zokuhlala. Ngoko ngokuqinisekileyo kukho umnqweno wokuzalisa indlu ngabantwana, kusaziwa ukuba abanye baza kufa.” Kodwa akukho nto ingako yenziwayo ukunyamekela abantwana. Behla benyuka bengakhathalelwanga, bengqiba okanye mhlawumbi befuna ukutya kwiindawo zokulahla inkunkuma. Bathini ke bona abazali? UGqr. Sabnis uvakalisa intlungu esithi: “Ababazi nokuba baphi na abantwana babo.”
Ngokufuthi izibhengezo eIndiya zibonisa isibini esonwabileyo nesikhangeleka simi kakuhle sinandipha ubomi nabantwana baso ababini, ngokuqhelekileyo inkwenkwe nentombazana, ngokucacileyo abanyanyekelwa kakuhle. Ngokuqhelekileyo kolu didi lwabantu—udidi olufumileyo—ingcamango yokuba nabantwana ababini yamkeleka lula. Kodwa abo bangamahlwempu abayiphuphi nokuyiphupha, beqiqa ngelithi, ‘Ukuba abazali bethu okanye oomawokhulu bethu babeba nabantwana abali-10 okanye abali-12, thina siza koyiswa yintoni? Kutheni le nto simele sixelelwe ukuba sibe nabantwana ababini kuphela?’ Kulapha ke phakathi kwale nginginya yabemi baseIndiya abangamahlwempu apho idabi lokulawula ukwanda kwabemi libonakala linzima khona. UGqr. Chopra uvakalisa uluvo lwakhe esithi: “Abemi baselula ibe bakubudala bokuzala abantwana. Akubonakali ngathi siza kuphumelela. Sisajongene noxanduva lomsebenzi.”