India has been facing several problems since the dawn of freedom. Although the government has launched many plans and projects they fall flat owing to the increasing population.
It is an obstacle in the path progress. This problem has given birth to other problems like food problem, price-rising problem and unemployment problem, etc.
The rapid growth in birth-rate in India poses the gravest problem for the whole nation. Moreover, the estimated shape of India’s future population is rather alarming. It is expected that this population will reach 1000 million by 2000 A.D.
As a result of the present population explosion the equilibrium between the country’s population and food production has been badly disturbed. The country has not enough means to feed people properly.
The increasing population will certainly need more food supply in future But the agricultural productivity of the land, despite the Green Revolution will not be able to keep pace with this increasing requirement. The standard of living of the people is very low as a result of this rapid increase in population.
The young children do not get essential food, clothing and education. The poor wander about in search of work, Thousands of persons pass their nights on footpaths because they are homeless.
It is certainly no grand thing for a country to have an excessively large number of half fed, undernourished and lowly-stationed people. The country needs a rigid system of family planning to restrict the growth of the population.
There are many reasons for the high rate of birth in India. Marry girls Marry quite early and often go on bearing children. Again, the poverty of masses has accelerated the birth-rate in the country.
It has made the people ignorant regarding value of planned family. They feel that the birth a child is a grace of God. India, a country of villages, has a large number of uneducated persons. In the villages the educational facilities are not available.
Illiterate people do not feel any importance of Family Planning. Ignorance and superstition have also stood against the popularisation of the concept of family planning. Decline in death-rate, particularly in child mortality has also given rise to population growth in the country.
The family planning programme has to counter opposition from some communities. The Church of Rome does not permit abortion. Mother Teresa was against the use of contraceptives. Orthodox Hindus consider children gifts of God.
Despite opposition from various faiths and uneducated orthodox people, the government has decided to go ahead with the family planning programme. It has legalised abortion. Special arrangements in maternity and general hospitals are made for the purpose.
Educated people have come to realise the value of the need of having a small family. They don’t find fault with the family planning. After all, family planning is a vital issue for their economic survival as well as social peace in India.
The government has started carrying the family planning from the urban centres to the rural areas. the laborious effort is being made to spread education in the rural areas and to convince the people of the need to get rid of the orthodox line of thinking.
Huge funds have been allotted to make the programme a success. Mass this is the need of the hour. The Indians must understand clearly that It problems of food and poverty are not likely to be mitigated as long as their population growth remains unchecked.
No financial assistance, no application of force, can solve the problem of population control. After all, family planning is not a medical problem. It is a social and psychological problem and requires assistance and cooperation from all.
To remove illiteracy, backwardness and ignorance of the people, the Adult Education Programme should be given due
The boys and girls need to be educated so that they may know well the significance of a small family. Contraceptives like ‘Nirodh should be made popular through propaganda and made available in urban as well as in remote corners of the villages.
