Today is Raksha Bandhan, an auspicious day for Hindus when girls tie a thread on the wrists of their brothers and pray for their good health and long life. It is fitting that on such a day there is some good news, that of the 33 miners trapped for 18 days in a gold and copper mine in Chile. They have stayed alive all this time on small quantities of tuna, milk and biscuits. The whole country rejoiced at the news of the men being found alive. Not such good news for girls in India though. While they are wishing long life for their brothers millions of girls are being killed before birth by medical abortion. In some parts of the country there are just 725 girls for every 1000 boys being born. It is not a male thing. This perversion is being driven by women. Certainly there is pressure on women to produce boys because, in India, parents depend on their sons to care for them in old age. Also there is the desire for continuing the family name but this is more than that. Here in north India women seem ashamed of their daughters even when they are alone. Little girls have their hair cut really short and are dressed like boys as if the mother is trying to hide the child's identity. If asked about the gender of a baby the mother cringes while revealing that it's a girl while swelling with pride if it's a boy. And this is not restricted to illiterate women. Educated women with high paying jobs also behave the same. These are modern women of the information age who have been to top schools where they studied with boys, they out competed the boys in exams and are now in responsible posts where men are working under them. They have been abroad. Why then has their mentality remained in in the past? Mystery.