BJP warns of ‘asuntalan’ in population control, Opp says see beyond politics

Addressing a meeting in Lucknow Monday to mark the beginning of a population control fortnight, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: “It should not happen that the speed of population growth or the percentage of some community is high, and we stabilise the population of the moolniwasi (natives) through awareness or enforcement.”

Warning “an adverse impact on religious demography” in case of jan sankhiki asantulan (population imbalance), Adityanath said this could lead to “avayvastha (disorder)” and arajakta (anarchy)”. “Hence, when we talk about population stabilisation, it should be uniform for everyone and above caste, religion, language or region.”

As part of the Adityanath-led government’s previous attempts, the UP Law Commission in August, 2021 submitted a draft of the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare) Bill, 2021, to incentivise families to follow a two-child norm. On last year’s population day, the CM unveiled an Uttar Pradesh Population Policy 2021-2030 to bring down the gross fertility rate among women to 2.1 by 2026 and to 1.9 by 2030. The proposed Bill had come under flak for its “preference for punishment as a means of population control”.

Union minister Giriraj Singh made a fresh pitch Monday for a stringent law to control the country’s population, calling it a “hindrance to development”. In a video statement shared on Twitter, Singh said: “We have limited resources. Our population is expanding like the mouth of Sursa (a female demon). The vikrit mansikta (perverse mindset) out of which one person gives birth to10 children can not be allowed.

“The BJP’s ally in Bihar, the Janata Dal (United), has taken a different stand on the matter. On June 6, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar countered Union minister Prahlad Patel’s June 1 comment that the BJP would introduce a population control law by saying that “Nothing will happen just by making laws. Work should be done in such a way that it becomes a part of nature. Everyone should see what happened after the enactment of the population control law in China”.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took the conversation forward while chairing a meeting where delegates of the his party, CPI-ML, CPI, CPI(M) and the Congress jointly declared support for Yashwant Sinha for the presidential polls scheduled to be held on July 18.

Speaking to reporters after the event, he said that rising population did not necessarily translate to bad performance on economic or developmental indicators. “Despite being the most populous country, China is ahead of India in terms of the economy, the GDP, and development. Shouldn’t it spark a debate? If the rising population is a threat, then why is China doing so well?”

Countering the BJP’s claims that there was a “population explosion”, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted that India’s fertility rate had come below replacement level. “The worry is to ensure a healthier & productive young population, on which (the) Modi govt has failed miserably,” Owaisi said.

On #WorldPopulationDay, Sanghis will spend time spreading fake news. The truth is India’s youth & kids face a bleak future under Modi’s rule. At least half of India’s youth are unemployed. India is home to the largest number of malnourished children in the world 1/2

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 11, 2022

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He added: “Sanghis will spend time spreading fake news. The truth is India’s youth & kids face a bleak future under Modi’s rule. At least half of India’s youth are unemployed. India is home to the largest number of malnourished children in the world”.

On the occasion of #WorldPopulationDay, let us be sensible towards the issues of population growth and inculcate informed choices on child bearing.

Or #StaySingle like me and together we can contribute towards a sustainable future.

Come join the singles movement today. pic.twitter.com/geAKZ64bSr

— Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) July 11, 2022

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Temjen Imna Along, the Minister of Higher and Technical Education in the Nagaland government of which the BJP is an ally, advocated being single and joining the “singles movement”. “On the occasion of #WorldPopulationDay, let us be sensible towards the issues of population growth and inculcate informed choices on child bearing. Or #StaySingle like me and together we can contribute towards a sustainable future. Come join the singles movement today,” he tweeted Monday.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav responded to Adityanath’s comments by issuing a tweet on Tuesday, in which he said: “Anarchy does not arise from population, but from the destruction of democratic values.”

Shafiqur Rehman Barq, a Samajwadi Party MP, accused the Uttar Pradesh government of seeing the population growth from a “particular angle” in order to get votes in the 2024 General Election. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Barq said: “instead of contemplating a law to check the growth in population, the government should pay attention to education and make proper arrangements for everyone, be they are poor, big or small”.

(with inputs from PTI)