Indian Population

Very often, a problem or a situation builds up in the background until it bursts forth into view catching everyone by surprise. Be it an expense that is leaking without notice or an internal wound that is just manifesting as symptoms with seemingly absent cause. Indian Population fell into that category may be forty years ago.

The real danger is not even the current state. It is that there is no foresight present to tackle this at the grass roots and the way things are, the "status quo" is bound to prevail for the next several years. Our resources are scarce - land, water, air. Any kind of charity or resources that are expended among our masses get dissipated so fast that it is akin to that help not being available at start. It sounds absolutely insensible to propagate a problem with the left hand while requesting help with the right hand.

This is the first problem: As we exist, we are suffocating on resources. The rich, upper middle and to an extent the middle class don't feel the pinch because the balancing factor is economy. It is a sensible model and automatically adjusts itself to seasonal and productivity fluctuations. But the sub-middle and the poorer sections are left to fend for themselves. Will the problem propagate further or recede if the status quo continues? Status quo here is referring to a 1.5% growth in population on a baseline value of 1.2 billion people.

This is the second problem: The problem is festering in the background behind the scenes. There is nothing that prevents a beggar from bearing a child to assist with his or her begging duties [this is a real scenario]. The fact that this child will need three meals a day for the next sixty years with no fundamental infrastructure provisions like education, health care or even mother's care during his or her early periods is totally unaccounted for in society's process. Ditto for a someone having three or four children deciding to go for a fifth one. Pick your own reason - all females - need a male, or the time of birth of the first eight was not right.

This is the third problem: If we start this discussion now, we have a thousand things to sort out. First being that India is a democracy. We can be sure to hear debates whirling in all directions, but we can rest assured that it will be used for politics. We are rarely able to come together for a consensus on things that matter to all of us - even for agreeing that the things matter to all of us. My question is whether asking a driver to stop at a red light against democracy? Isn't that for his/her own safety? Leaders need to agree that this is a priority.

This is the fourth problem: Quoting other countries - especially our closest peer - China. It is time to make our own decisions in this aspect without fear or comparison. China is four times the size of India in land. And tomorrow, China is perfectly capable of forcibly relocating their people to sparser lands if they decide to re-balance. Factually, their growth rate hit 0.5% long back.

It is ugly to judge the phenomenon once a birth process has started and after a baby has been born. Children are taint less of current situation and the lack of foresight of a billion individuals. The decision must be made holistically before the birthing process. But haven't we harped on this over and over? I for one think that it is ok to state this every single time the problem pricks. But the real question is who in the leadership will stand up and do something about it? At this point, even aggressive solutions are too much to ask. The problem is just begging to be looked at!