Mohan Bhagwat flags falling population growth rate in India

Nagpur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday underscored the importance of family and said if the population growth rate of a society goes below 2.1, then that society will perish by itself.

Addressing a private event in Nagpur, Bhagwat said, “In 1998 or 2002, our population policy was drafted which said the population growth rate should not fall below 2.1.”

“Even population science says population drop is detrimental to society. It should not come down below 2.1. It should be 3. The average number of children a woman should give birth in her lifetime should be at least 3. Otherwise, society will not get destroyed by others, it will perish on its own,” he added.

The RSS chief further said, “We count the family as a mordant unit that makes up a society. The culture and values are inherited and passed from one generation to another, thus preserving the core systems and values which are timeless and relevant not just to Indians but also globally.”

Asking people to rise above caste and communal divisions, Bhagwat said that, unlike some other cultures where individualism is given primacy, “Bharatiya sanskriti (culture) believes we are all interconnected.”

“If anybody is hungry, we come forward and feed them. Even if a beggar comes to our doorstep, we hand over money or food grains through the child in our family. In this manner, we pass on values from one generation to another. Sacrifice is our mainstay, not selfishness and self-centredness,” the RSS chief said.

RJD, JD(U) protest

Reacting to the Bhagwat’s statement, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said, “Leaders of the BJP often speak about population control, and now the RSS chief is advocating for more children. The BJP and RSS should first resolve their own contradictions. While the government promotes awareness campaigns for population control, such statements encourage having more children.”

The Janata Dal (United) also criticised RSS chief’s comments. Party spokesperson Arvind Nishad remarked, “Before making such statements, the RSS chief should consult BJP leaders who regularly speak on population control. In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has worked as a role model in this regard. Kumar believes educating women is the key to population control.”