Is the push for population bill wise when the country is facing an elderly population surge?
Finding peace in a two-bedroom apartment in Bombay with five occupants who are related to you via blood is the most difficult task. It might seem like a rant but it’s really not. It is a thought that keeps me up all night. I am truly privileged and I won’t deny that even for a second but to what extend do my privileges hold me from not complaining. Appa keeps telling me how there are people who cramped up in spaces that can barely support three individuals and here we crib. I often think how grateful I am and leave the conversation hanging and sleep over it.
The system is to blame my subconscious says. If the policies were stricter your parents would have had only two kids maximum or the poverty in the country wouldn’t be making you feel guilty for living a comfortable life. Sanjay Gandhi had come up with a brilliant plan to curb the population but the execution was no less than a genocide being performed. People in U.P still shudder at the thought of reminiscing that past. The forceful sterilization by the UPA across the country did nothing to teach its citizen family planning instead it increased fear amongst the voters and made the political career of the congressmen/women beak in the upcoming elections. The moment in history was specifically troublesome for women of the country. Deepa Dhanraj highlights the plight of women in her documentary “Something like a War”. Around two thousand people died in this drive officially. It is sad to witness the situation of women especially when the country had a women prime minister. During the pandemic, most countries have been lauded for their treatment of the pandemic due to the female leaders handling the crisis with empathy. This makes me wonder would India produce similar results or was it just Mrs. Gandhi who lacked empathy.
The BJP leaders have been very critical about the emergency and policies adopted back then but the current government has been using tricks from the emergency playbook from constant sedition charges to suppressing of the press to living in a bubble. The U.P government recently announced the population bill which is in the public domain for suggestions. The bill also demands sterilization for availing government benefits. The population is a major issue that the country faces but is forceful sterilization the only way. This will hike up female infanticide as the government will allow families with only two children to avail of benefits provided by the government and both cannot be daughters as most citizens consider them as a liability. Official statistics also state that the country would have a surge in the elderly population by 2050 so it is a good time to introduce this bill? Japan has been seen suffering from the rise in the population of senior citizens and a steady decline in the youth population. We have several Asia countries that are suffering from the aging population and how governments are looking into ways to get out of the crisis. During these times our country has shifted focus on an issue that does not require immediate attention. Removing poverty and removing poor people are two very different topics. The outlook that the nation has with regards to handling complex issues has always been deeply flawed either due to lack of awareness or an extremely optimistic outlook.
Governments need to look at all aspects of an issue before drafting bills as wrong decision-making skills can have an adverse effect on the citizens. We will progress if the population is educated and employed. We need to communicate better and push for family planning but not at the cost of individual human rights. Let’s blame poor governance and not poor people.
