The missing girls in India are not a new phenomenon. The British passed an Act to check female infanticide more than 100 years ago. Since 1960, India's birth sex ratios have progressively declined from 994 to 910, implicating life-affecting gender violence. Backed by extensive field research, data and interviews, this book explores girl child deselection through cultural neglect, female infanticide and foeticide, and the role of caste and religion. The book spans critical socio-historical contexts and examines the practice of selective right to life. It views the effects of militancy and...