It’s a known fact now that overpopulation is a global problem that is faced by every country. Every year July 11 is celebrated as World Population Day in almost all the countries so as to focus the attention on the grim issue of the galloping population growth, which is, symptomatically, linked with the equally worrying issues of poverty, environment and living standards.
According to the most recent United Nations estimates elaborated by Worldometers, the current world population is 7.99 billion as of November 2022 and could attain a growth level of 9-12 billion before the year 2050. The implications of this magnitude of population-growth are too evident to need elaboration. For, it is obvious that the utilization of natural resources, faster than their regeneration or renewal, would lead to scarcity, poverty and pollution. What is more serious is the fact that it will exacerbate rural conflicts, social tensions, political instability and increase in crime and violence.
Back home, the population scenario in India is all the more serious. Based on most recent UN data, India’s population is estimated at 1.40 billion which is a matter of great worry. India was the first country to start the family planning programme. But the methods which India emphasised on were not in keeping with the Indian ethos. The main emphasis of its programmes was on contraception and sterilization. Instead of building proper attitudes of its people, it made the people dependent on contraceptive devices, pills, vasectomies, tubectomies and other operative skills even knowing that these impinge on the psyche and also the most sensitive elements of human
anatomy.
As a result of this, people, instead of taking upon the responsibility for family planning, became too casual in the matter of family growth. In fact, the whole strategy and the methodology made the family planning schemes look like purely governmental programmes, devoid of motivation and participation of people and they seemed to be a techno-managerial or medico-administrative exercise.
It seems that India, which was once a moral and spiritual leader of the whole world, lost its moral moorings so much that it lost faith in its own cultural heritage and in the capacity of spirituality to solve our problems. Why is it that even for our own indigenous problems also, we look to the west for their solutions?
The Government clearly knows that there is a close correlation between fertility and female literacy. It is now well-established that when female literacy goes up, fertility goes down and the number of early marriages also decreases. So, if the girls in the age-groups 6-10 get primary education, both spiritual and secular, there is a definite
transformative effect on them which lasts even after they reach the reproductive age.
So, the best solution would be to give at least two kinds of primary education to girls. If we make use of our spiritual heritage and educate parents about the value of celibacy till the child’s education is complete, and give them the primary spiritual education about the identity of the self, the dependence of our people on doctors, clinics, chemists, operative techniques, etc., would be very much reduced if not totally eliminated and this would reduce the monetary burden and build up a sense of responsibility in the people and would motivate and involve them in the implementation of family planning programmes, for they would be aware of the goal of their life and the benefits of self-control and spirituality.
Note: The information given here is based on religious belief and public belief. There cannot be any scientific evidence for this. Keeping in mind the general interest and knowledge, it is being presented here.
