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BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 03:23 AM Apr 2013

Baby sold on Facebook

This sort of news makes me nauseous.

"NEW DELHI: In a bizarre case that brings together the twin evils of child trafficking and social media abuse, a newborn Indian baby was sold to a businessman for Rs 800,000 via Facebook.

The child was born in a Ludhiana hospital, and early reports indicate that he was already sold twice before the final Facebook deal was struck. The first sale was by the infant's grandfather, who told his daughter the infant was stillborn, and sold the child to a nurse for Rs 45,000.

The nurse then sold the child to a hospital attendant for Rs 300,000; the latter in turn put the child up for sale on Facebook, which is where the Delhi-based businessman completed the third sale in the series.

A police raid on the businessman's home Tuesday resulted in the child's recover; police have since arrested five people involved in the deal, including the grandfather and one other unnamed individual accused of facilitating the sales."
http://in.news.yahoo.com/baby-sold-on-facebook-for-rs-8-lakh--found-in-delhi-104029997.html

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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gordianot

(15,226 posts)
8. Both institutions have some interchangeable commonalities in the marketplace.
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 04:20 AM
Apr 2013

Facebook served in this case as a high tech version of the auction block.

Hekate

(90,189 posts)
3. Imagine being that baby's mother...
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 03:48 AM
Apr 2013

This was victimization upon victimization. Her own father told her the baby was stillborn, and sold it. That is so unbelievably sick.

Hekate

(90,189 posts)
6. I assumed it was a girl -- the poor things are considered worthless to an impoverished family
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 03:56 AM
Apr 2013

They want sons to carry on the family name; to bring income to the family; to care for their parents when they are old. Girls marry out of the family and need a dowry, besides. It's very sad.

Hekate

(90,189 posts)
9. A bride-gift or bride-price goes to her family. A dowry-gift goes to his family. Different cultures.
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 04:22 AM
Apr 2013

Dowries have been outlawed in India since 1961, but the custom is still widely practiced. It can be a crushing burden for families to pony up the necessary cash or gifts to get a daughter married off; without a dowry, she usually can't make a good match.

It gets worse. There is a crime called bride-burning, resulting from the husband and his family trying to squeeze the bride's family for more. The burning can be easily accomplished because kerosene is still used in so many kitchen, and saris are very flammable. Ooops.

Dowry death: One bride burnt every hour
Subodh Varma, TNN Jan 27, 2012

NEW DELHI: In a crime that is prevalent only in India, greedy husbands and his relatives harass the newly wed bride for getting more dowry, and often kill her in the process. And, very often, she is burnt alive. This horror is therefore called bride-burning or in official terms, dowry death.

In 2010, there were 8391 reported cases of dowry death in the country. That works out to a shocking one death every hour approximately. Bride-burning is on the increase - just a decade ago, in 2000, there were 6995 cases.

Dowry is an ancient tradition among the upper castes but its spread among all sections of society probably in the late nineteenth century. With increasing commercialization this acquired a new meaning - it became an opportunity for men and their families to get their hands on cash, jewellery, durables, and various other commodities.

Although the government prohibited dowry through legislation in 1961, it was never implemented properly. Prohibition officers were supposed to have been appointed in each district, taking the battle to the grassroots but nothing happened. And, the tide of greed driven murder of young brides continued unabated.


more at link

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-27/india/30670050_1_dowry-death-harassment-and-cruelty-section-498a

In a culture where a bride-price is expected, it goes the other way around, and though I have read of young men being to poor to give the appropriate number of cattle to their prospective in-laws, I have never read of crimes such as the ones in India being committed. Sometimes both bride-gift and dowry are practiced in the same culture ... anthropology is interesting.

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
10. Thanks for the info
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 04:57 AM
Apr 2013

My confusion primarily had to do with the combination of the late hour and my poor memory, but also because in Brazil, which I know best, the dowry was paid by the bride's family but stayed with the woman. Her husband was able to invest it (exploit the land, slaves and cattle), but the principal was to remain hers.

http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=2253

Hekate

(90,189 posts)
13. In Western cultures, that's kind of how we think of it, and Brazil is Portuguese-influenced
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 01:39 PM
Apr 2013

Most of what I infer about European custom has come from the better English novels about or touching on the upper classes and (in the case of such observers as Jane Austin) the genteel poor. The dowry was all-important to a good match, but it was also supposed to be a kind of insurance for her. I'm vague -- as I say it's kind of something you infer.

What's interesting is that in Europe the custom has faded away without laws having to be passed, simply as a function of the status of women changing drastically in just the last century. Despite laws in India being on the books, the status of uneducated poor women may be lower than ever as their numbers have shrunk.

 

fasttense

(17,301 posts)
11. According to the link the baby was a boy.
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 07:04 AM
Apr 2013

"The child was born in a Ludhiana hospital, and reports indicate that he was already sold twice before the final Facebook deal was struck."

It's the inevitable result of capitalism, turning people into exploited commodities no matter if the child is a boy or a girl.

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
12. So it was
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 07:07 AM
Apr 2013

I was distracted by this line about another case: "Police reports indicate the 10 month girl was offered for a mere $1000, with a package deal offering both children for $4000."

It's horrendous regardless. I hope the boy is unharmed.

Response to BainsBane (Original post)

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