Left- liberal media was worried about shrinking young population in India ahead of World Population Day this year. Somewhere between first and second week of July they come up with multiple stories to prove that population is not a big issue in India as our young population is shrinking and many southern states are reaching to population replacement point. Basis of their stories was sample registration system 2018.
Link the dots. In his republic day speech of year 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated very clearly that, population explosion is a big issue and this cannot be ignored now. Many organizations demanding population control law or a strict population policy. There are recommendations to withdraw all government facilities from the parents who don’t follow two children norm. July eleventh is celebrated as World Population Day and around one month focused family planning drive is observed. During the drive multiple activities are organized including seminars and discussions and not to say loud voice could be heard in favor of family planning.
When left- liberals focus on shrinking young population and indirectly disregard need of family planning; its time for the nation is to be vigilant.
It is true that life expectancy is increasing thus number of aged people. It is also true that Total Fertility Rate has also gone down. Also true that there are states reaching to population replacement point. Then what left- liberal media doesn’t explain?
As per census 2011 total Urban Population of Kasganj District of Uttar Pradesh was 288207 out of which 167394 were Hindu and 117062 were Muslims, remaining were other communities. Then there is parity data available for the same set of population, according to that 21% Muslim women have more than seven children, 10 % Muslim women have six children and 11% Muslim women have five children while parity among Hindu women started with 4 and average came as 2-3 children only.
Here is the catch which is never discussed – parity pattern of women in different communities.
Don’t fall in trap of emerging narrative of shrinking young population and many states coming up to population replacement point, we are very much in need of strict population control law or in better words an elaborated population policy.
One of the Family Planning expert once gave a wonderful idea. For every public health issue, first we go for general campaign & service provisioning programs and then identify high risk groups and focus on them. The same should be with family planning program.
There is set of population who is aware enough and doesn’t need focused family planning program intervention while the other set of population is like high risk population with respect to accepting family planning services. We have to focus on them.
