Family Planning and its Impact
Long ago Malthus propounded his theory that population multiplied in geometrical progression, while the means of subsistence increased in arithmetical progression. Consequently a stage might be reached when our number might increase to such an extent that we might find it difficult to make both ends meet. He warned that if such a stage is reached forces of nature would intervene to strike a balance between the two.
Such a stage is threatening us now. The population of the world is increasing by leaps and bounds. Experts are of the opinion that if we do not take measures to arrest the growth of population it will double itself by the end of the next two decades and reach a point of explosion. An unchecked population increase, Dr. Julian Huxley, the eminent biologist has warned, will render succeeding generations poor, impoverished and under-nourished. The increasing population of the world is, therefore, not only a challenge but might prove disastrous for mankind, if we do not move to put a brake to it and strain every nerve to multiply the limited resources to the maximum possible extent.
International suspicions, hatreds and war preparations, are largely draining available resources. Instead of entering into military alliances and building up atomic piles, cannot the developed nations in of the world concern themselves with the developed nations in meeting the population in-crease by tapping our oceanic resources, reclaiming deserts and bringing wealth. Cannot they absorb people from densely populated areas? And an agreement of this sort would be the best form of aid for economically backward countries like India.
It is collective effort by all nations which alone will save mankind from the menace of population growth. This age of missiles offers man opportunity to exploit celestial resources, too. The early man faced many shortages; he made fire and the rains served him. Science enabled him to conquer nature. He must now develop it further to solve new problems, and discover new horizons for the sustenance and continuance. It is man’s urge for self-preservation that has assured his survival. Since the biological process must go on, there is no reason why we should resort to indiscriminate killing of latent life and induce thereby mental retardation of coming generations.
In India the problem has assumed great urgency in view of the fact that we are passing through an economic revolution. If the fruits of this revolution are to percolate to the masses and evenly distributed among the people and the impact of planning and development plans is to be felt by the common man, there must be an earnest endeavour so that increase in resources is not rendered meaningless by our ever-growing numbers.
India has developed family planning as official policy and made provision for it in the Plan. But as Mr. Nehru told the Medical council of India, “that does not take us very far because we Dave not done very much.” The need for quicker and better organization is clear from the statement in one paper read to the conference that paradoxically enough, the size of the family and the rate of population growth are both likely to increase rather than decrease in the near future as a result of family planning. In other words, family planning is likely to reduce infant mortality. This suggests at any rate that the ensuing population will be healthier and more vigorous, which is encouraging whatever one’s views on the project as a whole.
Nobody now-a-days, we hope, thinks population growth should be controlled by famine and epidemics. So the alter-native of planning is given added importance and is under-lined by the failure of the plans to provide employment for the growing population. It is a problem primarily of resources in the country affected. But, we suggest, it has also political aspects which some of the leading democratic countries fail to see. The number of young Communists is growing. Is it the idea that the number of young democrats should decline? Has the problem of India’s population to be regarded as a democratic hazard? Should it not be viewed as a valuable opportunity for investment against future—which may be tremendous?
It is vital to the success of our economic planning ‘that there should be family planning. At the rate at which population in India is increasing, by 5 million a year, economic development cannot catch up with the ever-increasing requirements of the situation. Mr. Nehru’s address to the International Conference on Planned Parenthood reflected the government and national concern about it. Public opinion has not been wanting, thanks to the propaganda launched under the Five-Year-Plans. But the measures for family planning taken under the Plans have only touched the fringe of the problem. If the population trend has to be arrested, the vast rural population must not only be persuaded and convinced of the need but cheap and simple means of birth control should also be made available to them. As it is, among the upper middle classes family planning would seem to be in evidence. Among the low income groups of workers there is still the tendency to look upon a large family as coming to augment the family income. Though every month can count on two hands to sustain its needs, the limitations of employment and food supply in the country would not sustain that epigrammatic consolation. If only the women could have their say, it is certainly that they would jump for family planning which would ensure that instead of a large number of children suffering from malnutrition there would be a smaller family that could hope to be better off. The wear and tear on maternal health as a result of repeated child-bearing would be a telling consideration with them.
Continence as a means of family-planning is not a practical proposition. Nor it can be advocated that late marriage would help. The natural and general anxiety that the eldest child at least should be of age to earn his living and support the parents in their old age would preclude any such solution of the problem. Then we are left with sterilization and the use of the contraceptives as the effective means of family planning but the magnitude of the problem in India is only too obvious. Even if all doctors, surgeons, hospitals, maternity and child-welfare centres in the country could be providing advice and assistance on family planning, it is quite a long-term prospect of such facilities for the rural masses. Propaganda in the rural areas must need be intensive. It would need much effort to break the conservatism of the people and bring them round sterilization as the sure means of family-planning, quite apart from the question of providing the facilities to the entire population. In the matter of contraceptives — mechanical and chemical type in use today would still be a luxury for the masses. A cheap and satisfactory oral contraceptive which all could use has been advocated by Sir Julian Huxley.
If the much dreaded population explosion is to be averted, we must realise the importance and utility of family planning as a means of arresting the population increase in the interest of this generation and in the interest of posterity. The population increase is both a challenge and an opportunity. We must take it as such and do all in our power to make the best out of it. Family planning and planning for economic prosperity are the only alternatives before us. Only that way lies our salvation and the salvation of the human race.
