Triple Stream

LESS POSTERITY MORE PROSPERITY

India needs change of its demographic landscape. To be the most populous country next to China is not something to be proud of. To call ourselves the world’s largest democracy is not a matter to gloat over. Less Posterity, More Prosperity.

The menace of adhoc and unplanned growth of population is known to be the main factor for the economic downslide of developing countries. The greatest barriers to the progress of family planning are created by pseudo-religious beliefs, superstitions, irrational prejudices and illiteracy. In fact our lack of a firm policy to check population boom is also responsible for the failure of our literacy campaign. The rate of literacy growth is not able to keep pace with population growth.

It is the duty of the social service organisations, writers and the educated elite to supplement the efforts of the government by combating the criticism and doubts and to mobilize public opinion in favour of planned parenthood. Unless people’s enthusiasm is aroused through massive and no-holds-barred propaganda, there will not be adequate response to the government-sponsored schemes and incentives. The drive should be carried to the villages whose population forms 83% of India’s billion plus. The media, print and electronic, should be geared to this purpose, since every village is equipped with radio and television sets. In this respect, Government should follow the example of China and act with faith and firmness instead of remaining tepid.

People should know that from times immemorial humankind has been devising methods of controlling population explosion. Brahmacharya, late marriages, abortion and infanticide were the old methods. Rhythm method, birth control, contraceptives, vasectomy, I.U.C.D. (popularly known as ‘loop’) and laproscopic operation are the modern methods.

The point to be stressed is that the idea of family planning is not new to the world. The problem has been exercising the minds of enlightened citizens in all the countries and religions too. It is interesting to note that ‘Coitus Interruptus’ was one of the earliest methods of prevention of conception practised by people of the times of Genesis and Herodotus. In Rig Veda and Yajur Veda, the bridegroom addresses the following mantra to Indra at the time of his holy wedlock: ‘Oh Indra, make my bride the mother of virtuous and lucky children. Bless her to obtain ten children’. If three or two is the optimum in these days of scarcities and soaring prices, ten must have been the optimum in those days of plenty when milk and honey flowed in the streets! Later on the optimum was reduced to eight when the elders blessed the married couple with ‘Ashta putra dhana prapti rastu’ (May you be blessed with eight children and wealth). Perhaps they felt the need for extra money! They added ‘Wealth’.

There is a verse in the Vedas which cautions the prospective parent against the danger of indiscriminate parenthood. It says “Only the first son is the product of Dharma and the later children are products of Kama.” It is not a caution, if not warning?

Two contraceptive methods were said to have been found in ‘KAHARUN PAPYRUS’ (1850 B.C.) and ‘EBER PAPYRUS’ (1550 B.C.). Manu in ‘DHARMASASTRA’ and Vatsayana in ‘KAMASUTRAS’ give an account of chemical and occlusive methods of birth control. ‘MANUSMRITI’ prohibits copulation for 15 days in the month (Amavasya, Chaturdasi, Ekadasi, Sunday, festival days, Varjyam, day time etc). Whether it is scientific or not, an attempt was made in favour of family planning! BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD (200 A. D.) contains a mantra to prevent conception. Our forefathers appear to be more modern in their outlook than most of us. Gandhiji himself recognized the need for birth control but recommended the method of continence (Brahmacharya). Surprisingly he said: The woman should learn to say ‘no’!

It is found that even Muslim countries like Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia have adopted family planning as national policy. But India is afraid of introducing a uniform policy for obvious political reasons. Being allergic to the word ‘family planning’ our government switched to ‘family welfare’. Our neighbour China has set an example to us in many things including family planning by uniformly adopting the one child norm and strictly enforcing it without fear or favour.

In general, religious objection to the practice of family planning is based upon the fear that followers of the rival religions will outbreed the adherents of the particular religion in question. According to Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, the famous demographer, even orthodox Jews changed their attitude after 1930 when the General Convention of the American Jewish Rabbis endorsed birth control. Nearly all the Protestant churches gave up their opposition. The safe period or the rhythm method of birth control itself was permitted by Pope Pious XI in his Encyclical on Christian marriage issued in 1931 when it was known that millions of Catholics were resorting to contraceptives.

It seems, the supreme teacher, the Grand Mufti of the Egyptian kingdom, after careful consideration, particularly with reference to the Hanafi School of Law, issued a fatwa dated 12th Dhial quaada (1937). “It is permissible for either husband or wife by mutual consent to take any measures in order to prevent conception.” (Journal of Egyptian Medical Association, Cairo).

Parenthood is certainly nature’s endowment, a genetic gift, a sacred commission, a noble trust but also a conscious responsibility. Therefore, improvident maternity and casual parenthood are as deadly as communicable diseases which should be controlled by preventive medicine. In addition to late marriages, Family Planning is a good step in mankind’s conquest of the blind forces of nature. It is a means of self mastering, a measure of man’s civilisation and growth to maturity. Children by chance (not by choice), unwanted and unloved children, by products of passion, are an affront to the conscience of their parents. Civilisation may be defined as bold and intelligent interference with nature and harnessing it in the service of man and welfare of the society, by subduing the most important biological process – reproduction. The richer and more civilized a nation becomes the slower its rate of breeding especially in its comfortable classes.

In connection with the observance of the recent World Population Day, U.N. calls for more family planning.

Till now Government’s efforts in this direction are lukewarm. H.R.D. Tata, a friend of Jawaharlal Nehru was said to have told him on the Independence Day in 1947 when he hoisted the national flag on the Red Fort, that family planning should receive top-priority attention. It seems, Jawaharlal Nehru’s face became red and he said “Population is our strength”. Of course, he sincerely believed in that.

N. A. Palkhivala, former Ambassador and the well known constitutional lawyer considered our failure to check population explosion as one of the six mistakes which have brought us to this sorry state. He said, “Today the problem has become so acute that whatever gains we achieve on the economic front are negatived by the unbridled population growth.” Economically we may become a super power, but what is the use when population pulls us down.

Our government should wake up. It is already late, but the grace period is still there. The point of no return has not yet been reached.