National interest vs lack of jobs: Oppn, BJP MPs debate Bhagwat’s population remarks

A day after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over India’s declining fertility rate, BJP leaders on Monday welcomed his remarks while the opposition asked where will the resources to support an increased population come from.

Food prices are high and the government has “failed” to create employment opportunities for people, they said.

Speaking at an event in Nagpur on Sunday, Bhagwat highlighted the vital role of families and warned that according to population science, if a society’s total fertility rate dips below 2.1, it could face extinction.

“So when we say 2.1, this means it should be more, at least three. The (population) science says so,” the RSS chief said and described the declining population growth as a “serious concern”.

Asked about Bhagwat’s remarks, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said they are in national interest.

“The RSS is a patriotic organisation. If Mohan Bhagwat ji has said something, then it would certainly be in the national interest. So it should be analysed positively,” Tiwari told PTI outside Parliament.

BJP MP from Meerut Arun Govil spoke on similar lines.

“His ideas are in the national interest. He is a mature person. If he has given this statement, it is for the good of the country and it must be right,” Govil said.

However, opposition leaders questioned Bhagwat and the BJP over his remarks.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Katihar Tariq Anwar said Bhagwat’s remarks were in contrast to what BJP leaders have been saying on the issue of population.

“What he (Bhagwat) is saying is contradictory because BJP leaders are saying the population should be controlled. They should clear these contradictions and the government should come out with a policy on population,” he said.

Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandra Shekhar asked where will the additional resources to support an increased population come from.

“Such statements are made with a political agenda and people have to pay (the price) for them,” the Nagina MP said.

If managed properly, India’s population is a useful resource, he said. “If we start manufacturing, people will get employment. But the government has failed in this,” he added.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury said, “I respect Mohan Bhagwat ji, but what experience does he have of bringing up a child?”

She added, “Everything is adulterated. Food prices are high. When they (children) grow up, they don’t get employment. What do people need more children for?”