Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, February 24
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s announcement in Bihar assembly on Tuesday to further introduce measures to reduce fertility rate below 3.2 per cent at present provoked the BJP ministers and MLAs to seek a legislation to curb population explosion.
BJP’s senior MLA from Bisfi in Madhubani district Haribhushan Thakur, in a statement said, Bihar witnessed a decline in fertility rate among the Hindus only and not the Muslims. He alleged in different parts of North Bihar and even in his constituency, Hindus adopted family control measures, but the records available with the local hospitals and primary health centres suggested Muslim women did not take benefit of the family planning measures.
Thakur alleged there was no feeling of patriotism among the Muslims. This invited instant protest from the AIMIM legislator from Kishanganj, Akjhatr-ul-Islam who said the BJP leaders was talking unconstitutional things. Their statement was aimed at dividing the society. Fertility rate, he claimed, has nothing to do with religion, but socio-economic conditions. Those who are illiterate and economically poor have more children among all communities, he claimed.
Bihar’s Law minister Pramod Kumar supported the suggestion of his party colleague and demanded a legislation to control population through disincentives and incentives. Population of a certain community was rising heavily, he said.
Labour Minister Jivesh Mishra said his department has already introduced a scheme to prevent parents with more than two children from enjoying social welfare benefits. He hoped other departments would also follow the same.
Chief Minister while replying to the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor for his speech to the joint session of legislature said when he took over as chief minister in November 2005.the fertility rate in Bihar was 4.3 per cent and now it was 3.2 per cent. He said he wished it declined further. Nitish said due to the incentives given to the girls in field of education, like Rs 25000 after passing intermediate examination and Rs 50,000 after graduation, girls were getting married late and helped reduce fertility rate. Through promotion of education among the girls, fertility rate would come down further, he told media persons here after the assembly sitting was over.
There are several assembly constituencies in North Bihar and Kosi region, where the Muslim population was 70 per cent compared to other communities. It was quite high in Kishanganj, Katihar, Araria and Purnia districts.
In 2019, BJP member of Rajya Sabha from Begusarai in Bihar, Rakesh Sinha had moved a private members’ bill in the House for regulation of population, Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai in February 2020 had moved another bill in Rajya Sabha for amendment in article 47 of the Constitution to promote small family norm. The amendments suggested include denial of food, health care subsidies to the parents and their children having more than two children. In his speech to the Nation on August 15,2019, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had also said, “we need to worry about the population explosion as it was detrimental to development.” His cabinet colleague, Giriraj Singh also called for population control legislation.
