Girl Child: Family welcomes newborn with enthusiasm
The Statesman | 9 April 2025
The birth of the first girl child in 50 years in a family led to scenes of joy and celebration, as relatives arrived at Memari Rural Hospital in East Burdwan with a car decorated like one used in a wedding procession to receive the newborn today.
Curious hospital staff and family members of other patients gathered around the elaborately adorned vehicle, eager to witness the unusual but heartwarming moment.
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Sheikh Jahangir of Boinchi, in neighbouring Hooghly district, arrived with his sons and grandsons to collect his newborn granddaughter. His daughter-in-law, Mehnaz Sheikh, gave birth to the “precious” girl two days ago.
A beaming Jahangir shared: “I never had a sister or a daughter. This is the first time in 50 years that our family has been blessed with a girl child. It has brought joy to all of us.”
Explaining the celebratory gesture, he said: “We decided to mark the occasion and honour the newborn by decorating the family car as if it were meant to receive a bridegroom.”
An emotional Mehnaz said: “I was afraid I might be blamed for giving birth to a girl, as that’s sadly still common in some places. But I was completely overwhelmed and amazed by the love and excitement this little girl has received. It makes me proud.”
Mehnaz, originally from Patuli in Katwa, joined the Boinchi family two years ago after marrying Jahangir’s youngest son.
West Bengal’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is currently 1.6, which health officials note is lower than the national average. This indicates that, on average, women in Bengal are having fewer children. The state’s birth rate has also seen a consistent decline, currently standing at 14.9 births per 1,000 people.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2020–21 reported 937 female births for every 1,000 male births.