Over Population In India

Religion versus Policy in Population Control

Roopa Bhat

Issue date: 9/1/06 Section: GV Feature

India is the fastest growing economy in the world with

its GDP growth reaching 10.4% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2003-04. It is also making a
place for itself in the open market global economy as the information technology hub as well as a
haven for outsourcing. While India's economic
growth has been stellar a great deal of concern has surfaced regarding its population and its
uninhibited growth.

India is the second most populous country in

the world and by 2030 it is estimated that it will be the most populous overtaking China. India has
2.4% of the world's land area and 16% of the world's population.

In the last 40 years, the Indian population has doubled. This steep increase has severely influenced
the fall of the standard of living. Annual per capita income is about 300 USD and it is estimated
that 30% of the Indian population lives below the poverty
level. The recent economic developments have
not reached the impoverished and continue to
widen the gap between the rich and the poor. A vast majority of the Indian population lives in rural
areas and does not have access to adequate drinking water,
healthcare, sanitation, education and job opportunities.
It is also important to note that almost 40%
of the population is younger than 15. This most certainly translates into an increased need for
natural resources, education and jobs in the near future.

In the past, there have been various policies to control the population growth, all of which have
failed. None of the policies attempted to educate the
common population instead solely relied on encouraging voluntary family planning. These efforts
clearly have been unable to produce the desired results.

Indian population growth is driven by its religious and cultural beliefs. Most of the Hindu
population continues to have large families in order to ensure the birth of a son. Hindu's believe
that only a son can perform the last rites, and if one doesn't
have a son to do so, it is not possible to achieve salvation and go to heaven. On the other hand, the
leaders of the Muslim communities, which form about 20% of the Indian population, discourage
family
planning. Large families are also desired because of the high infant mortality rate and the need of
support in old age. There is no welfare system in place and the common population tries to have as
many sons as possible so that they will be able to support
the parents as they get older. Even the most educated families in India still continue to believe that
daughters belong to the family they marry into and it is not in line with the religious and cultural
beliefs to accept
any support from daughters.

There are many NGOs that are trying to educate and encourage women to take a stand about
contraception and family size. However there is much pressure from the religious fundamentalists
to stop such efforts. It is time for the government to instill policies that can effectively educate
families
and foster cultural renaissance. There is a need for policies that will have economic implications
for having large or small families. For example there has been a considerable decline in the
population growth in China since it implemented the one child policy. There is a need for
education and policy that encompasses the need to "cultivate an appreciation for critical thinking
and science, the values of individual freedom and autonomy, self-determination and self-respect."1

For India to enter into the modern world, each Indian needs to commit to improving his or her
own condition in life.

Note
1. Kurtz, Paul. "India's Population Time Bomb", Free
Inquiry Magazine. 19:2. http://www.secularhumanism.