India, a country of contradictions: European MP

New Delhi: India can launch nuclear weapons and develop space programmes but its high maternal mortality and illiteracy is unacceptable, a delegation of MPs from Europe said Friday.

A six-member team of European Union (EU) MPs completed their five-day study tour of India -- and shared their experiences.

"India is a country of contradictions. Here one cannot generalize anything. For example, the country is developed in space programmes and has the ability to make nuclear weapons. But women die while giving birth. This is simply not acceptable," Britta Thomsen of Denmark said.

Thomsen said that in Kadiya village in Udaipur, she was surprised to see young girls already married and an anaemic woman waiting to give birth.

"I was shocked to see a large number of girls who were married at an early age, some as young as seven. Women particularly in rural areas have no control over their life."

Though the MPs found that India was an incredible country in terms of food and hospitality, they saw big gaps among the rural and urban population and also major gender discrimination.

Nadja Hirsch from Germany said maternal mortality was high in India due to early marriage and malnutrition.

Asked how European countries could help to check maternal deaths in India, the MPs promised to pitch for more contacts between European institutions and Indian NGOs such as Chetna.

The delegation met 18 Indian MPs including P.J Kurien, M.S. Swaminathan, H.K. Dua, Mabel Rebello and Viplov Thakur.

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

Mamata's rail budget promises growth with human face

With highest ever allocation of Rs.57,630 crore ($13 billion), Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday presented the rail budget for 2011-12, promising to move fast to build   »

Hindi and Urdu too... Mamata is picture of confidence

Mamata Banerjee set to present her fifth rail budget

  Most Read

Nine die in Iraq protests as demonstrations scald Arab world

Protests in Iraq dramatically escalated with nine people demanding reforms and an end to corruption   »

Govt forces attack Libyan town, leave 17 dead

'Jamia's secular nature remains intact, albeit its minority status'

Minority status for Jamia Millia Islamia will not change the secular nature of the 90-year-old university, says Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung. "This is not going to change the secularist nature of the university.   »

Jamia Millia Islamia reaches out to women in distress

  News Pick

India-Pakistan differences affect SAARC: Maldives

Ahead of the SAARC summit his country will host later this year, Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed Friday said the India-Pakistan differences have affected the potential  »

Building Bihar, one road at a time

Shahbaz Khan earlier used to take seven to eight hours to travel from Raghunathpur to the state capital, a distance of about 100 km, to market his goods. Now it takes just three, thanks to a metalled road, the most visible and talked   »

Imbibe multi-skilled personality: AMU VC to girl students

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice Chancellor Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis while addressing the annual function of its Senior Secondary School (Girls) February 24 said that the girls of this school are very promising and hoped the female   »

'Mughal E Azam' revived... This time through MF Husain paintings

Noted painter M.F. Husain has paid his personal tribute to K. Asif's epic film "Mughal-E-Azam" by recreating the movie's fabulous scenes in a series of exquisite paintings. "I love India. I loved the    »

Census in Goa could give distorted picture: Church

The Church in Goa Friday said the influx of migrants and the significant outflow of people working as sailors on long haul   »

Bhopal Muslims complain of irregularities in Census, write to President