Be ‘Baby-worthy’ Nation First !

Last week the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu urged youngsters in their respective States to have more children. One said, have more than two, the other said have 16!

But why? Vote bank.

The remarks came after reports that the BJP-led Central government was planning to redraw Lok Sabha Constituencies based on population which may see Southern States lose some seats and Northern States gain.

This basis of redrawing of Constituencies based on population is not viable. It will lead to a power shift which is not healthy for our democracy. The matrix for redrawing Constituencies has to be more complex than just population criteria.

That said, the Southern States should force the Centre to take a different approach rather than calling for a ‘baby boom’ and incentivising it.

Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu announced, “We will bring in a new law to make only those with more than two children eligible to contest for elections.”

Wouldn’t it make more sense to entice them with jobs and housing instead? Don’t couples with kids need this more than eligibility to contest elections? 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin said, “Today, as there is a scenario of decreasing Lok Sabha Constituencies, it raises the question: Why shouldn’t we aim for 16 children?”

Let’s, hope the Karnataka Government, which is on an incentive-giving spree does not announce a ‘Koosu Bhagya’ – a scheme where the Government will pay couples to have children.

But here’s the real question: While politicians want more babies, is India equipped to feed, educate and employ an expanding    population?

The last thing India needs is more disillusioned, jobless youth. As anyone with a basic grasp of economics could tell you, a booming birth rate without the resources to support it spells social instability.

Today, as technology takes away jobs, our Governments should be incentivising job-creation rather than life-creation. As resources dwindle, it should plan a sustainable nation before incentivising procreation.

Some political and social analysts mourn the declining fertility rates around the world, but no one expected India to join that list. Why are so many educated young Indian couples choosing not to have children? And why are fertility rates in urban India dropping?

The answer isn’t complex: Raising children in India can be a high-stress endeavour.

India may have fast cars, gleaming buildings, grand airports, long modern bridges and rockets in space, but the country’s social infrastructure is a different story.

Young professionals weigh the stress of raising a family in a system rife with corruption, bureaucracy and pollution. Why would a young man or a woman complicate his or her life by having a child in such an ecosystem?

If our politicians want youngsters to have children, they must first create a nation where when a young couple’s child is born, their first act should NOT be paying a bribe to get the child’s birth certificate.

Create a nation where a teenager’s first interaction with their Government is NOT paying a bribe for their driver’s licence.

Create a nation where the Police evoke a sense of safety rather than fear. Today, in India law-abiding citizens fear the Police while criminals don’t, when it should be the other way around! 

Create a nation where a court of justice is seen as a place that delivers timely justice rather than what it is today, a place that is used to delay justice.

 Create a nation where the quality of public health and public transport is decent enough that everyone can avail of it, unlike today where it’s tolerated only by those unable to afford private options.

Modern Indian cities are plagued by pollution — in the air, water and food. They’re chaotic, costly, and frankly, unlivable for many. No wonder fertility rates in urban areas are dropping.

The spawning of IVF clinics in urban India is proof of this. 

This backdrop of urban stress echoes the sentiment expressed by Financial Times journalist Edward Luce, who observed that India suffers from a “premature spirit of triumphalism.”

This belief — that India’s sheer size and economic strength are enough to propel it into global prominence — overlooks a more important measure of success: Quality of life.

Yes, surpassing Japan’s economy is an achievement, but with only a tenth of India’s population, Japan boasts virtually zero poverty. The comparison is stark.

So, before urging young Indians to make babies, politicians must first make India a baby-worthy nation.

e-mail: vikram@starofmysore.com