KANPUR : In a step towards women empowerment and as a protest against female foeticide, women in a large numbers performed 'shraddh' ritual at Sarsiyya ghat in Kanpur on Sunday. The rituals were performed for the unborn girl children killed in the womb.Women present at the ghat performed 'Pind-Dan (a ritual) for the unborn girls, freedom fighters and soldiers who laid down their lives for the country.The special programme was organised by Yug Dadichi Deh Daan Abhiyaan. Former city Mayor Captain Jagatveer Singh Drona who was present during the programme said women can also perform Shraddh rituals.Event organiser Manoj Sengar said that the purpose of conduting such a programme was to give back women their right to conduct 'Shraddh rituals'. In the Vedic times women had all rights to perform religious rituals but with the passage of time these rights passed on to males and women were denied of all rights, he said.Among women who performed ' tarpan ' were BJP district president (south city) Anita Gupta, Colonel Prabha Awasthi, Manisha Maheshwari, Dr Seema Srivastava, Dr Nisha Gandhi, Pushpalata Mishra, Dr Sneh Sudha, Madhavi Sengar among others.Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee 's grand daughter Nandita Mishra and her spouse Sumit were also present at Sarisyya ghat to perform 'shraddh' rituals for the former PM. Nandita performed 'Tarpan' (a ritual) for Vajpayee. Vajpayee died in August after fighting prolonged illness. He had a city connect as he had studied at Kanpur's DAV PG College.

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