Shanghai, the financial center of China Image source Wikipedia
by Dr. Elsa Lycias Joel July 8, 2023
China outpaced India. It’s GDP of USD 18 trillion is roughly six times that of India. According to IMF China will contribute 34.9% of the global growth. Given our history, we needed to do something to make China feel small. So, we overtook China as the world’s most populous country in April 2023. How is that for a start! Not just China, we had to prove that we are capable of challenging the world at large. Nobody points their finger at us because we have helped humanity reach a milestone. We are indeed making progress in accelerating our population growth. The world isn’t surprised for what we have become. India is known for its rich, exuberant Kama tradition.
Most scriptures talk about children as a blessing.
And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” Genesis 1:22
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
Wise people understand that certain portions of religious books have an expiry date. The times they were written were different from the times we live now. Whatever was written definitely made a lot of sense at one point of time. Not many who know or have read the above verses are keen to fill the earth with their offspring. Religion should be a matter of good conscience in daily life and is not about increasing the followers or overproducing offspring.
People who interpret scriptures according to their convenience and illiterates who have no common sense, access to sex education and may be contraceptives contribute their part in helping our country reach the top position. Religious leaders and public figures such as Shankaracharya of Badrikashram, Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati, Sadhvi Rithambara, Mohan Bhagwat, Sakshi Maharaj and Yati Narsinghanand encourage people to give birth to as many children as possible. Who cares about the minutely written ‘we two ours one’ slogan behind overloaded Lorries, crowded buses and rickety auto rickshaws?
Hindus should have at least five children. Two for the man, two for the woman and one surplus. Giving birth to a child is ‘prasad’ (gift) from God. India can become strong, when Hindus are strong. When Hindu is weak, India is weak…,” said BJP MLA Surendra Singh.
Educated folks who will be keen on providing the basic requirements for kids do not pay heed to such balderdash whereas the illiterate majority who throng political meetings for biryani and alcohol take suggestions of their leaders to heart. Up to 24% of the world’s poor live in India and they are taught to expand their families severely depriving them of shelter, water, sanitation, health and education. Russian President announced rewards and a title for mothers with 10 kids to solve the country’s steep population decline.
The phobia of Muslim demographic dominance is not doing any good for a country like us except spreading hatred and propagating myths. Instead of channelizing all their energies and strategies towards hate speech, insinuations and funny slogans against Muslims, leaders can address ways to increase educational and economic opportunities for women thereby enabling them to have a say in family planning as such. Where from do the residents of Fattepur, UP draw their inspiration? As far as I’ve read, there exist Darupadis in Uttarakhand, in villages of Boha block and Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is not the Muslims alone who have multiple wives. A survey carried out by NFHS (2019-2021) concluded that in four states across India, the proportion of Hindu women who admitted to living in a polygynous relationship was higher than that of Muslim women whose population is five times lower than the Hindu women. With current trends, Muslims will never overtake Hindus in numbers . In many places, the practice of marriage to more than one spouse and procreation is a result of illiteracy and poverty. Religious connection to population explosion is least explored. Religious fanatics, blind followers of Indian soap operas and those under the influence are oblivious of how too many children results in straining their economy. Children growing up in poverty stricken households do not contribute anything to the family and country at large because they grow up neglected and undervalued without any basic rights. The state must actually address real problems, rather sensitively, instead of being indifferent to slogans like “Hum Paanch, hamare pachchees” and “Hum char, hamare chalees”. Furthermore, men too should be helped to shed their inhibitions and encouraged to go for sterilization. Why is male sterilization zoomed out of the family planning programme? Rational arguments supporting a small family and family planning may be looked upon as blasphemy or antireligious. But it is the responsibility of the state to teach people especially men about sexual responsibility and consequences of unwanted pregnancies because decision makers in majority of the Indian families are men. As long as Indians blindly believe that sons are better than daughters, the rising population cannot be controlled.
So, the government must try to educate or somehow stop those who give hints and urge people to reproduce or advise religious leaders to counsel men who try to populate India with hybrids by involving in bestiality.
Instilling the theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future” in the minds of all, especially directors and script writers of soap operas is indeed a daunting task.