Assam goes the Chinese way; adopts strict population control policy!
Demonetization to now maybe Population control! The BJP led government in Assam is mooting to bring legislation in place on population control in the state where giving birth to more than two kids will entail punishment of losing a government job.
China is the most populated country with approximately 1.39 billion people in 2014. India is second most populated country with approximately 1.27 billion people in 2014. China and India together account for 36.41% of total world population 7,243,784,121. Among Asian countries combine share of both country is 61.07%.
China implemented the one child policy as a part of the family planning policy introduced in 1979 and began to be formally phased out in 2015. The policy allowed many exceptions and ethnic minorities were exempt. In 2007, 36% of China's population was subject to a strict one-child restriction, with an additional 53% being allowed to have a second child if the first child was a girl.
Provincial governments imposed fines for violations, and the local and national governments created commissions to raise awareness and carry out registration and inspection work. In the case of Assam if things go accordingly, the draft bill for the population control restricting number of children to two per family will be introduced in March next year in the assembly session.
The draft bill also includes provision like disqualification in candidature of municipal election if the candidate has more than two children.
ALSO READ: ASSAM: MINISTER SUPPORTS CITIZENSHIP TO HINDU BANGLADESHIS
The move by Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma comes weeks after he said that the Muslim population have outnumbered local Assamese in 11 districts of the state and the changing demography of Assam poses a threat to the extinction of local people. As per 2011 census, total population of Assam was 31,169,272. The total population of the state has increased from 26,638,407 to 31,169,272 in the last ten years with a growth rate of 16.93%. Total population of Assam was 26.66 million with 4.91 million households in 2001. Higher population concentration was recorded in the districts of Kamrup, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darrang, and Cachar.
Assam's population was estimated at 28.67 million in 2006 and at 30.57 million in 2011 and is expected to reach 34.18 million by 2021 and 35.60 million by 2026. Himanta advocated that the persecuted Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh should be given citizenship of India in order to strengthen the base of total Hindu population in the state which is plagued by illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh consists mainly of Muslims.
BJP led government in the state will adopt the model of Rajasthan government on population control but Thailand and Iran, along with the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have had similar declines of fertility without a one-child policy. What runs in the mind of the Assam Education Minister would be interesting to know because secondary level schools population control policy will be included in the curriculum!
A high level committee has been also formed to frame the population control policy. The committee will submit its report in next 45 days, Mr Sarma informed.The act when comes into force will be also applicable in grant or approval of various government schemes.
References
- Wikipedia
- statisticstimes.com
Featured image(courtesy): Hindu Human Rights
