A Catholic priest has urged Indian religious leaders to help protect girl children following news of a man leaving his newborn in a gutter.

"Religious leaders, be they Christian, Muslim, Hindu or others," must provide their followers "with the necessary attitude and courage to save and celebrate the girl child," said Jesuit rights activist Father Cedric Prakash.

His appeal came after news reports of police arresting a man in Gujarat state on Sept. 7 for abandoning his newborn girl.

The reports said Narottam Devipujak, a vegetable vendor, had vowed to offer a male goat to his family deity if a son were born to him. However, he would “sacrifice” the child if it were a girl.

On Sept. 2, a day after the child’s birth, he left her in a gutter close to the temple of the deity.

"This is surely not a one-off incident to highlight the negative attitude that exists in society toward the girl child," said Father Prakash’s e-mail appeal.

The priest, who is based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s commercial capital, noted that the child sex ratio in the state is 883 females to 1,000 males as against the national ratio of 920 to 1,000.

Despite efforts, society continues to prefer boys to girls, he said.

In Hindu religious practice, a son often has the responsibility of performing the last rites for family members. While sons inherit family wealth, girls are considered a burden as they need to be married off with dowries.

Father Prakash said the Catholic Church in India has also deemed it necessary to celebrate Sept. 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, as “Girl-child Day."

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