Apparently it was a non-event. Shahzadi alias Najo, daughter of a cycle-rickshawpuller father and domestic-help mother organized a function to celebrate the 40th day (called Chilla in local parlance) of the birth of her daughter. The invitation was given to people cutting across the class lines. Several of them who graced the occasion were ladies from the households where Shahzadi’s mother, Aisha alias Bholi, used to work. Chicken, pulao, mitha-pulao, roti etc where all offered to the guests. Food were sent to those who could not make it to the function due to illness or other reasons. It was not organized in the vicinity of the one-room house of Shahzadi’s parent but on the campus of Madarsa Shamshul Hoda (Junior Section), near the prestigious Patna Science College.
The guest came with presentation too. In the morning Milad (a religious ceremony) was organized and traditional songs were sung. The baby girl, Alia Mahwesh, was obviously dressed in the best of the dresses so were the guests, hosts and hostesses. Shahzadi’s father and a cook prepared the delicious food.
Such functions naturally go unreported. Some better off people in the society opined that Shahzadi should not spend so lavishly in such a function as they are not rich. They too may be right. But what Shahzadi and her family members did not ever imagine is that by doing so they inadvertently made a big news.
Just at the height of the post-Census debate over missing girls, falling gender-ratio and discrimination this poor Muslim family of Bihar’s capital was celebrating in a big way the birth of the first child, a daughter. They are totally oblivious of the raging television and newspaper discussions on the issue. For them the birth of a child––boy or girl––does not make any difference. Incidentally, this was not an isolated function of its kind in this class where daughter’s birth is being celebrated with equal fanfare.
Shahzadi’s parent are not literate, but she and her three sisters and two brothers can read and write a little bit. Before her marriage a couple of years ago she used to work as a domestic-help as well as carry her study in local maktab.
Her marriage was organized in the same Madarsa campus where her daugther’s Chilla was celebrated. The colour and design of the marriage card was approved by the bride, Shahzadi, herself.
It is not that this section of the society is free from social ills. Yet the function on the occasion of daughter’s birth went a long way to explode the myth that there is rampant discrimination among all the poor. It is a slap in the face of those educated well off and so-called decent members of the society who do not allow the birth of girl in the family. Tragically the same day came the news from other part of the state where a woman committed suicide as she was repeatedly pressurized by the in-laws to go for the third child as the first two kids were daughters.
Not only is the birth of a girl prevented, what is more shocking is the revelation that infant and child mortality rate is more among them than boys as the parents, in many cases, do not treat them well, and allow them to die if they fall ill. First they abort the birth of a girl, if that is not possible they try to abandon or dump her after the birth and even if that is not possible they let her perish for want of proper food and medicine.
No doubt some people are providing better education to their daughters and celebrating their birthday or other functions on par with their sons as they seriously believe in gender-equality. But they are in minority. Besides, many among them want to prove to the society that they do not discriminate between a girl and a boy. That is not the case with Shahzadi, where the gender justice comes quite naturally.

(This article was carried by The Telegraph, Kolkata, in its Edit Page on June 2, 2011).

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