By IANS,
Amritsar : Terming dowry “a curse” due to which girls were killed, President Pratibha Patil Wednesday called for a sustained campaign to save the girl child in the country.
Addressing a big gathering on the grounds of the historic Khalsa College in this Sikh holy city, the president said it was sad to see that parents were killing their daughters.
“I am not here to give a speech to you on this. I have come here to talk to you about this serious issue. Dowry is considered a curse in this country because of which parents do not want daughters. We have to change this and curb evils like dowry,” Patil told the gathering comprising mainly of women and girls.
The president arrived here Wednesday to be part of the ‘Nanhi Chhaan’ (Tender shadow) campaign to save the girl child and encourage planting of more trees.
She said: “If there are no girls, there will not be any mothers, sisters, wives and daughters to take humanity forward.”
Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal were also present on the occasion.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal, the wife of Sukhbir Badal who has been running a sustained campaign for the rights of girls and women and encouraging tree plantation under the ‘Nanhi Chhaan’ campaign, said the teachings of the Sikh gurus and the tenets of Sikh religion did not allow the killing of the girl child.