By: Dr. Mohammad Aleem, Editor, ICN Group
NEW DELHI: Recently, in a public function in Moradabad (UP), the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat said that we should now focus on the two child policy in the country. It should be given a constitutional status. It is necessary to control the population to make our country grow economically, socially and culturally. He also said that there should be a law formulated to implement this ambitious plan throughout the country.
The chief editor of the Urdu daily, Inquilba, Shakil Shamsi has written his opinion article on the same theme, titled, dated 19th January 2020,“Two Child Policy and the RSS”.
He writes:
“When the country is passing through a turbulent time due to the contentious CAA, NPR and proposed NRC, then, this issue, which has been raised by the RSS will only create a new problem. And many people are asking this simple question that whether this law will be applied to all religious communities or will it be specific to the Muslims only? This question comes into mind because there are scores of the Hindu extremist Sadhus and Yogis who say that the population of India is rising only due to the Muslims only.”
But it is a fact that the data says just opposite and put the reality in completely another perspective. According to the 2011 census, during the last 10 years, both Hindu and Muslim population has seen considerable decline. The growth of the Muslim population is at present 24.6%, which was earlier 29.5%, and the growth of the Hindu population is at present 16.7%, which was earlier 19.92%.
Shakil Shamsi also has scathingly criticized this malicious propaganda that the trend among Muslims is having many wives, but the reality is just the opposite. He writes:
“They (the hardcore right wing people) always indulge in such malicious propaganda that every Muslim marries four women and produces as many children as they can. But when we say that please help me in identifying such men who have four wives and many dozen children, they run away. The fact is that the population of the Muslim women is less than the Muslim men in the Indian society. Then, from where on earth, these men will get as many wives of their choices?”
In the recent days, we have also heard many times from many Hindu chauvinist Sanyasis and Gurus that every Hindu should bear at least 10 children. If it happens, then, the how the problem of rising population will be controlled?
Shakil Shamsi put his views over it in this way:
“We have no right to criticize any such law which comes for the purpose of controlling the population, but it should be brought within the secular character of this country. It was Sanjay Gandhi who had first adopted the tough policy of family planning in 1975. In the whole country, forced sterilization of men was applied in such places as schools, Dharmshalas, hospitals and even in the government offices. When in 1977, Indira Gandhi was ousted from the Prime Minister post, it was being said that the forced policy of the family planning of the government was the main reason for the Congress Party’s decline. And the fiercest opposition had come from the Hindus mainly.”
The fear is that a group of the right wing people, who always look for any opportunity to extract some blood from the Muslim’s muscles, will demand for implementation of this law only for the Muslims as it has been adopted in the case of the Citizenship Amendment Act. And if it happens, it will cause to create another mass unrest in the country.
Shakil Shamshi concludes his article with these scathing remarks:
“The BJP plays a dual policy when it comes to practice the bigamy. For example, when the film star Dharmendra marries a second time with another film star, Hema Malini, despite of having two wives at the same time, the BJP makes him a candidate for the parliamentary election from Bikaner and it also gives an opportunity to his second wife, Hema Malini to secure a seat of the MP from another constituency. If the BJP keeps rewarding such persons who have two wives, then, will this family planning movement ever succeed?
In fact, the rising population is the result of the many socio-economic factors. And before formulating and implementing any such law, it should be taken into account seriously. It has been said that those people, either men or women, who are well educated and economically, socially and culturally well-off, they prefer smaller families. And this trend is prevalent among all the religious communities of India.
So, the Government should focus mainly on educating people and making them economically sound rather than bringing a tough law for it, then, this problem will automatically get solved without inviting any public wrath and resentment.
Dr Mohammad Aleem is an award winning novelist, playwright, journalist and scriptwriter. He has five novels (three in English, two in Urdu), two plays, including ‘Imam-e-Hind Ram’ based on the great epic Valmiki Ramayana to his credit. His books have been published by Penguin Books India, National Book Trust, India, Lifi Publications and many others. He has also written many serials for DD and other channels. Currently, he is hosting a web series, Desh Keya Sochta Hai?Akhbaron ke Hawale Se on the YouTube Channel, Newsnexxt.
Key words:
Inquilbab Urdu Daily; Shakil Shamsi; family planning; two child policy; Mohan Bhagwat; RSS, Dharmendra; Hema Malini, BJP; bigamy; mass unrest; CAA ; NPR; NRC
