DHARHARA VILLAGE (BHAGALPUR): In the backdrop of 2011 census, which saw Bhagalpur district marked with lowest sex ratio (879 females : 1000 males) against the state’s average of 916 and national average of 914, Dharhara village in Naugachia sub-division of Bhagalpur district is probably one place on this globe where birth offemale child is not only welcomed with open hands but, also rejoiced with planting of ten (10) Mango/Litchi tree saplings.
The village custom dates back to more than 200-years, which even octogenarians are unable to recall as to when the practice was adopted in Darhara, a nondescript village under Gopalpur block of Nagachia marked by almost 80% orchards of Mango and Litchi.
Unique it may sound, but the practice has not only been able to check the families’ craving for boy child but also has been able to stop female foeticide (sex selective abortion) in the area and has set an example for wherever female infanticide is/was practiced.
It also has been able to tackle the menace of dowry for the marriage of village girls, their higher education apart from schooling costs, said Jai Prakash Singh and added that the custom has other blessings in the form of green cover in more than 350 acres of area out of nearly 500 acres of village mouja.
“Exact date is not known but what we have inherited from our great grandfathers is more than 200-years’ old”, said Singh, sitting on a bamboo charpoy (cot) under a Mango tree in an orchard, while recalling the history of village custom.
All we can recall is that then landowners Umrao Singh, Manorath Singh and others initiated the custom in the village to celebrate the birth of girl child and memorialize them even after they were married-off to persons of other place, he added.
Echoes Ram Yatan Singh, Omprakash Singh and several other senior citizens. Hareram Singh said that the practice of planting fruit-bearing trees has brought economic independence to families of Darhara village. Girls, after completing school level of education, are pursuing higher education at different places and are getting employed also, said he.
“Thanks to age-old custom ! Education and marriage of girls is not a problem here”, said Bijay Kumnar Singh (mukhiya of Dharhara, Makandpur panchayat) and added that Mango-Litchi orchards here, because of village custom, has been able to ward-off the perils of pollution and lend a hand in controlling environmental imbalance.
Indeed it was our ancestors’ vision that we are able to wrestle against three social evils – “selective sex abortion (female foeticide), women illiteracy and dowry deaths besides contributing to the global efforts to control global warming” -, said Minoo Kumar, a young social activist from the village.