It is time to address the problems that Bihar is struggling to emerge from centuries old backwardness and debilitating social divisions faces now that a new government is in place.
The programs for reconstruction of the state’s infrastructure and addressing its myriad social issues are laudable but lest we forget, Bihar remains very much entangled in age-old traditions of patriarchy, which define the social structure particularly in the rural areas. Even today, it is deemed better to get girls married early rather than sending them to school. Bihar’s developmental path would necessarily need to factor in these social dynamics in order to make any headway in societal progress.
This accompanied by a lack of facilities to cater to the pregnant and lactating women who are often ‘girls’ in rural areas makes for a disturbing scenario. In the rural milieu, prenatal and postnatal health care of women and infants is even today abysmal. The high infant (IMR) and maternal mortality rates (MMR) are testimony to this state of affairs.
Actually it is not only a matter of institutional mechanisms being in place or a slew of facilities to cater to these needs although these are undoubtedly essential. The mind-set in rural areas is what needs to change or at least subtly shift. The perception is that pregnancy is not the right of women, it is duty they are bound to fulfill in accordance with the laws of society as defined by the patriarchal society.