Lohri celebrated with IVF-born baby girls

Our Correspondent

Jalandhar, January 5

Infertility specialist Dr Jasmine Kaur, in collaboration with the women doctors wing of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Jalandhar, celebrated Lohri with IVF-born girls at a hotel here on Sunday.

Dr Dahiya said it was an annual ritual for her to celebrate the festival this way. “Parents of baby girls born through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) were called to be a part of celebrations. Parents were honoured and kids were given gifts. Later, families shared their experiences as to how the footsteps of new-born girls changed their lives and their happiness on becoming parents,” she said.

Dr Jasmine said things had changed a lot now and the girl children were treated equally. However, the mindset of certain sections of society had not changed and there was still a long way to go before girls acquire equal status in society. She said that the aim behind organising the lohri function every year was to reach out to those people who still discriminate between girls and boys.

IMA president Dr Navjot Dahiya said: “Lohri reflects the rich heritage of the state and such occasions help youth to connect with the roots of culture.”

People mostly celebrate Lohri on the birth of a boy, while celebrating Lohri of girls was not so common in our society, Dr Navjot said adding that it was time to change the mindset. as nowadays, both boys and girls are looked up equally.

He said girls had scaled heights in almost every field today. But it was shameful that we still get to hear about female foeticide in news. It was high time to reach people about the importance of girls, he added.