Yesterday was World Population Day, and the UNPFA's theme for this year is 'Everybody Counts'. Their focus is on collecting reliable data and analyzing it in a way that drives good decision making.Which reminds me - the last day for collection of data for the 2011 census in Tamil Nadu is the 15th of July, and the enumerators haven't yet paid me a visit. The word is that they're having a tough time because most people are unaware of the census being conducted, and refuse to let them into their houses. Moreover, I believe that many of them don't speak Tamil, and are having a tough time communicating with the residents. You would think they would send Tamil speaking enumerators to conduct a survey in Tamil Nadu!
Anyhow, it all makes me a bit skeptical about how accurate the results will be. Do you remember the day the country celebrated the birth of it's billionth baby? To me it felt like a day of mourning. It is true that the average number of children per woman dropped from 6 in the 1960's to 2.5 in 2005, but unless it drops further, the population will continue to grow. And we simply do not have the resources to keep up with that growth.
Imagine for a moment that everyone restricted themselves (voluntarily) to having one child. It would mean that the population of the country would halve in one generation. Having two children would maintain the status quo. Having three or more, in my opinion, is absolutely unforgivable. I know it is a pretty harsh thing to say, but I firmly believe that almost every problem in our country stems from overpopulation.
So, on this World Population Day, I'm asking you to consider having just one child. Consider adopting another. Consider the future of the planet. Make your own decisions in the end, but please consider the options.
As I said, this is just my opinion. Maybe you have a different one. Maybe you disagree strongly with my views. Maybe you already have two (or more) children. I would love to hear your views on the subject. Please leave your comments or email me at childofchennai@gmail.com. If you liked this post, maybe you could share it with people you think might be interested. It would be nice to have a variety of opinions.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I read it a couple of times, thought about the intention behind the post and the recommended suggestion. An exploding population is a problem not only on a national level but also on an international level. We need to feed/house/care/employ more people with fewer and fewer resources. So, I agree that Indian as well as global population needs to be managed. I'm not a big fan of using the word "restricted/controlled/regulated". But there are a few things on the post that need more clarity. How will be the population be halved in one generation by people choosing to have one child? How is the population maintained in status quo by restricting to two children for one family? Perhaps a bit more elaboration will clarify these queries.
Let’s look at the recommended solution – “consider having just one child. Consider adopting another. Consider the future of the planet.” I’m a big supporter of adoption having considered it as a possible choice in my life. But I believe that the ONLY reason I would, and anyone else should, consider adoption is that there is enough room in our hearts to house, love, care, and nurture a child. It should not be about saving the world, it should not be about reducing the future food wars, it should not be about traffic problems, etc. It should be about the child. And if by adopting and nurturing a child, the world improves, then it is a happy side-effect.
So, how do we deal with over population? In your post, you have mentioned that children per woman has dropped from 6 to 2.5 in 40 years, which is dramatic. My guess is that this is because of better education, women empowerment, better birth control options, social change/acceptance of birth control, and of course, the growing number of women choosing to have children at an older age than the previous generation. Already, it looks like Indian women (and families) are choosing quality (of life) over quantity (of lives). My belief (perhaps naïve) is that our population growth will soon self regulate, thanks to women. The problems in our country (such as corruption, traffic, pavements, hoarding, and other items listed in your posts so far ) are present is other countries as well, only not in the scale that we see/experience. These issues will not disappear over a generation by effecting one solution or even a set of solutions. They can only be managed such that the impact on our and our kids' lives are minimized. Perhaps, the need of the hour is to educate people (especially children) on how to respect each other and how to respect our resources, with a hope that our kids are better behaved, more environmentally conscious, and ethically stronger than our generation is. I believe that it will be a key stepping stone for transformation.
That’s my two cents. Great work on the blog and for starting interesting dialogues. Keep blogging.
PS: Just a general pointer - It might be a good idea to link to a source when you quote statistics/figures. It provides reference material for readers who are interested to learn more.
Hi Meena,
ReplyDeleteI did mean to post this link, but forgot.
http://www.searo.who.int/linkfiles/family_planning_fact_sheets_india.pdf
As for the population halving bit, you're right- it is not the population that would halve - it is the number of people in the next generation, as a family tree will illustrate. My bad. But the population would also reduce, though perhaps over a longer period of time.
I didn't mean 'adopt a child to save the world'. I meant consider it as an option if you really want a second child (as many people do). I guess I should have been clearer about that. And yes, even in that case, if you feel you will not be able to love an adopted child as you would your own, then don't adopt. The happiness of the child is of prime importance.
And you're right - the solution lies in educating our children. But it might make the job easier if there were fewer of them ;)
P.S. I'm glad this post provoked a response- ideally that's what I'm looking for because it helps me see things from someone else's perspective. I just wonder if other people will bother to read the comments (which I want them to do). Would posting the comments on facebook help?