FOCUS AUGUST 2021

UP Population Control Bill For us at ISSUES & CONCERNS (I&C), issue of exploding population, especially of India, has been very close to our heart. When I&C got launched in November 2000, the first issue on the cover was POPULATION, for the universal relevance of the issue even then. In successive editions during the last 20 years, I&C has tried to highlight the issue of uncontrolled growth in numbers. Despite argument in favour of the so-called Demographic Dividend, we persisted in highlighting the vagaries of this problem of all problems. It’s been a kind of saga for us at I&C. 11th July 2021, the World Population Day came and went into national amnesia as usual. The customary government advertisement (both central & state) had stopped years ago. Leadership at all levels did not lose their sleep on this mother of all problems. But for the first time a Chief Minister of a state decided to bell the cat, it’s “Hum Do, hamare do, nahi toh!” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, unveiled on 11th July itself, a policy aimed at stabilizing the population in UP, terming “rising population is a hurdle in development. Stephen Hawking, the British Physicist, while talking to THE INDEPENDENT in July 2016 had stated, “We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity”, while recollecting his interview on POPULATION with a US TV channel, in 2010. Reportedly he had stated “Population had grown by half a billion in six years with no end in sight. At this rate it will be 11 billion by 2100. The resultant environmental pollution shall be the biggest threat to mankind globally. More than 80% inhabitants of urban areas are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution. People should be careful. Mankind is in danger of destroying ourselves”. No wonder World Population day is observed with the goal of highlighting the difficulties created by overpopulation and raising awareness about how overpopulation may harm the ecosystem and progress of humanity. It took thousands of years for the world to have a population of its first billion in 1810. It took less than 90 years only for the next billion to be added. Sometime in 1950, the population was over 2 billion, but in 2011, it had climbed to 7 billion. So, in less than 110 years, 5 billion was added at an average of 22 years per billion. However it is true that over the years, the increase has been on the rise. Year to year on, between 1987 to 1999, it took 12 years for a billion, from 1999 to 2011, it took only 11 years, but between 2011&2021, during the 10 years the increase has been only 0.7 billion, indicating, the possible reversal at over 14/15 years for the next billion. This trend hopefully should continue for the overall good of the world, since demography has far reaching implications for generations to come. They affect development, employment, income distribution, poverty and social protection. They also affect efforts to ensure universal access to healthcare, education, housing, sanitation, water, food and energy. Coming to India too, while the increase from 2001 to 2011, was 18,14,55,986, the increase from 2011 to 2021 has come down by almost 1/3rd, to 12,91,37,092. In absolute numbers, the total population of India was, 102,87,37,436 in 2001, in 2011 it went up to 121,01,93422 and in 2021 IIPS recorded it as 133,93,30,514, showing a sharp decline. While it is true that better health management and greater availability of nutrition has helped the reduction in death rate to cause the increasing numbers, it is apparent that people in general are making conscious decision to have smaller families leading to slowing down in the galloping numbers. However, what worries many countries is that while these numbers are either decreasing or stagnant, the numbers among the migrants or some section of society is allowed or even encouraged to increase their numbers. It is certainly causing disquiet for some country managers. The issue of Rohingyas in Myanmar is a classic example. Population of Rohingyas was 58255 in 1872 according to the census by the then British government, rose to 178647 in 1911. Post independence in 1948, Rohingyas population in Myanmar rose further to almost a million in 2015. Myanmar or erstwhile Burma is predominantly a Buddhist country. There have been concerns of tension ever since the British government started bringing Rohingyas to Burma to work as labourers. However increasing procreation among Rohingyas made things worse. As far back as 1942, the first communal violence broke out between Buddhist locals and migrant Rohingyas. Thus the tension between locals and migrant Rohingyas has increased overtime and remained alive to this day. Myanmar’s “Burma Nationality Law” has effectively denied these Rohingyas nationality and therefore no citizenship benefit so that they are forced to leave Myanmar and migrate elsewhere. Here the issue is, according to Myanmar, the ever increasing numbers of Rohingyas is threatening the existence of Buddhist society of Myanmar. They are worried, that in their own country Myanmarians themselves can become minorities, a situation that Myanmar would never want it to happen. Is their apprehension misplaced?! However what Rohingyas need to understand is their uncontrolled numbers have made them vulnerable and increased their sufferings. Clearly these Rohingyas have not appreciated the slogan “Smaller families are happier families”. It is true, being Muslims they have their own concept of what is right and what is wrong, even when it comes to the size of the family. In India, we have this “Hum Do Hamare Do” In Pakistan, although a Muslim country, too have a slogan “Do Bachche hi Achche”. In fact Pakistan despite its theological opposition to family planning has a policy of birth spacing. Thus the importance of smaller families can never be overemphasized. In I&C, we have been always advocating incentives for those with two or less and disincentive to those, who cross the threshold of two children, as a measure of population stabilisation, since in a democracy we cannot have the Chinese 1 child norm. Coming to the latest legislation proposed by Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath-UP Population Control, Stabilisation and Welfare Bill-it has suggested various incentive schemes and harsh disincentive measures keeping two child norm as the ‘Laxman Rekha’. Proposal, which is expected to be enacted soon by the UP legislature will debar, those families, who have crossed the Hum Do Hamare Do bench mark, from availing state funded welfare schemes, subsidies, contesting local body elections, applying for government jobs, so also no promotion. Under the proposed legislation, those who are not government employees but follow the policy will get rebate on electricity bills, home loans, tax on houses etc. Bill generally limits the ration card limit to 4-Hum Do Hamare Do. For government employees many incentives are proposed in the draft bill. Soft loans for the construction of houses will be given at minimal rates. Rebate on house loans, electricity charges etc. 2 additional increments in their entire service line. Free Healthcare facility. Subsidy on land purchase for housing. Insurance coverage for the spouse. Female government employees will get 12 month maternity leave with full salary. Pension fund contribution by the employer will be more by 3%. A lump sum amount of Rs. 80,000/- to BPL family with one boy child. The amount will be Rs. 100,000 for girl child. This is clearly a path breaking initiative by the UP government which has a population of some 22 crores which is greater than the population of many countries. Of course, as expected there are many nay sayers for this purposed law. Most of the media is opposed to the proposals in the law. They allege, it’s against minorities and those who are practicing polygamy. Some are even talking of challenging it in court. While there are many who are happy with the law, there are many who are unhappy. Surprisingly Sharad Pawar, the NCP Supremo, has endorsed the initiative by UP government. He is reported to have stated “The message of population control needs to reach far and wide to sustain the nation’s economy, gross national income, healthy living standards, and a balanced environment. Every conscious citizen should make a commitment to contribute to population control on the World Population Day”. One Ghazwa-E-Hind, had reacted on the internet “we will use foreign fund to raise kids more than 2 and in next 20 years throw this government out through vote bank, come to power and change this rule forever”. At the end of the day, what should happen is the India centric development initiative and population stabilization proposals, which can bring fruits of development to the last man on the development ladder, period.