Ban on Female Genital Mutilation or Khatna: A Comment
The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Khatna o r Khafd or Female circumcision on girl child above the age of 5 years and before attaining puberty performed in India among Dawoodi Bohras, is violative of the basic human rights of the child. India is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN resolution 2012 and also bound by the WHO guidelines where FGM is treated as illegal. The successive governments even after a lot of objection raised by the victims and social activists failed to take appropriate action against this monstrous tradition practiced for long. This act is performed as a ritual among the Dawoodi Bohras Community and has no clear reference in the Holy Quran. It is a systemic practice ingrained in the community for a long period of time.It is rooted in patriarchy and there is a stern belief that female sexuality is destructive to the patriarchal order and their sexual desire should be