Fatehgarh Sahib, Aug. 11 :    Fatehgarh Sahib, Aug. 11:  Hundreds of granthis (religious preachers) today converged in the district, notorious for having the lowest female ratio in the country, to kick-start a campaign against female foeticide and infanticide. Manmohan Sharma, executive director of the Voluntary Health Association of Punjab - co-organisers of the gathering - said the need for the convention arose after the Akal Takht on April 18 reaffirmed the Sikh code of conduct to excommunicate those who aborted female foetuses. 'This is just the beginning. We chose this district because the female count here is the lowest in the country. We intend to hold such conventions all across the state and in the country in the future,' Sharma said. According to the latest census, the female ratio in the district is 754 to 1,000 and, district officials say, the figure is plummeting further because of mushrooming ultrasonography clinics in the region. In some pockets, it is as low as 500. Anandpur Sahib jathedar Manjit Singh, who spoke at the gathering, said it was a shame that in the land which gave birth to Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, people were getting away with the crime. 'All Sikh gurus preached against the killing of females. In fact, the Sikh code of conduct categorically states that people should sever all relationship with those who practised female foeticide...' Singh said. Fatehgarh Sahib is also famous for the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's two sons, Zorawar Singh (9) and Fateh Singh (7). The two were suffocated to death on December 28, 1704, on the orders of Nawab Wazir Khan. The convention decided that the granthis should educate the masses about the social effects of female foeticide. Meera Shiva, one of the speakers who came from New Delhi, said if the menace was not checked in time it would lead to social upheavals. 'We are seeking the help of everyone to control the evil. Preachings by religious leaders alone will not help. We need the help of doctors, lawyers, social workers and anyone who believes that female foeticide is an evil. The alarming statistics from this holy city have proved that the practice is not relegated to urban areas. It is practised as vehemently in the rural hinterland as well,' Shiva said. Manjit Singh, who has been involved in the battle since the last census exposed the fast declining number of girls in the zero-to-six age group, said the next conventions in Amritsar or Anandpur Sahib would try to rope in doctors, lawyers, women's bodies and even ordinary citizens.