New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed concern over “population explosion” in the country, saying it causes innumerable challenges for the coming generations, and asserted that the central and state governments should launch measures to deal with the issue.
In his Independence Day speech, Modi said the time has come for “us to face the challenges facing the country head on” as he pitched for smaller families, saying if people are not educated and healthy, then neither their homes nor the country can be happy.
Keeping one’s families small is an act of patriotism and those who do so deserve our respect and need to be felicitated, he said.
“Population explosion has been occurring at an unrestrained pace. This population explosion is creating innumerable challenges for us and the coming generations,” the prime minister said, raising the issue for the first time even though many BJP leaders, especially those hewed to its hardline agenda, have long been voicing their concerns for a long time and have sought laws to this effect.
The prime minister called upon the people to learn from the “small section of society” which is aware and keeps its families small for their welfare that, he added, also contributes to the country’s welfare.
If the population is educated and healthy, the country, too, will be educated and healthy, he said.
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Turning his focus on the issue, Modi said the country has entered an era where it does not need to hide its problems and asserted that the time had come to face challenges head on.
Taking decisions by keeping in mind “political profits and losses” causes more problems for coming generations, he said, apparently targeting those critical of any move to curb population growth.
People should look at those who keep their families small and how they are able to meet the needs of children and educate them well, he said.
Modi pitched for spreading awareness in society, asserting that people need to consider if they are in a position to meet the requirements of their children adequately or will end up leaving them to their fate.
Having capable people and families is a beginning to fulfil the dreams of the 21st century India.
Strict population control measures should have been initiated three-decades ago to contain population growth. India is over-populated atleast 10-times. It is good that PM has initiated the discussion on population control. One hopes that Govt in collaboration with the Private Sector comes out with a package of incentives and disincentives to encourage limiting family size to not more than two children, with individual exceptions if necessary..
However, what is regrettable is that the bleeding hearts, poverterians and the media which wants to comment on all issues, has maintained studied silence over the past five decades on the scourge of “over population” out of fear of being branded “communal” by the leftist-libreralist communal casteist mafia.It is already seen that some compulsive contrarians have started opposing the PM’s call by quoting all kinds of absurd researches by unknown foreigners. One argument already being peddled is that India has reached something called “replacement” level. The population has to go down and not just get replaced. Already there is massive shortage of Higher Education Facilities, Housing, Transport, etc. More than half the national budget is spent on subsidizing poor and also rich people based on profession, caste etc.
What Sanjay Gandhi started in mid 70s in a different format, Modi is giving patriotic colour. Then they exploited his method and went on to defeat Congress. I feel sorry I wasted a portion of my salary for the cause Janata Party of this party in different avatar. Population is already is going down, PM is obviously targeting a particular family.
Blame UP and other BIMARU states, why blame south which is not part of population explosion, this BJP govt uses taxes from south for doles in UP to get voted, what does bengaluru or other cities that collect taxes get, ziltch
Why do poor remain poor the main reason is population, people who are affluent mostly have smaller families and poorer sections have larger family…
Having a smaller family is definitely the need of hour
He can’t always blame Nehru for his failures. So, he is preparing other issues, to put blame on.