________________
advertisements, awareness seminars in school and colleges, counseling sessions for
newlyweds etc.990 Whereas, in an interview, Muni Sukhlal (the monk who currently
oversees the Anuvrat Movement) said: "Save Girl Child movement is under the Anuvrat
banner."91. However, the ABTMM carries the spirit of the movement but does not credit
Anuvrat in its initiatives.
The indefinite response of Akhil Bhartiya Terapanth Mahila Mandal (ABTMM)
raises questions like: How does one define success, and it is still unclear whether the
increased awareness is having a real impact on the statistics or not. Secondly, one needs
to consider how wise it is to attempt to deter people from a practice without changing the
circumstances that cause such practice to be chosen, for example, what are the reasons
behind son preference?
As for the vow, I will not commit suicide - Suicide is a more difficult subject to
address as the reasons for committing suicide vary greatly among different socio
economic groups and cultures in India. In a country where poverty is a key reason for
suicide, globalization and affluence are also contributing factors to the seemingly high
suicide rate in India. Some respondents held opinions on how the Anuvrat Movement
might be able to address the issue of suicide. They emphasized upon meditation to
manage stress, incorporation of the Science of Living in schools for developing an
integrated personality and combine income generation programs. One example as
narrated by Muni Sukhlal (monk) is as follows:
90 Agarwal, interview. 91 Muni, interview, June 3, 2012.
44
