Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged women in the state to have at least two children or more to stabilise the population, highlighting the declining birthrate as a pressing issue. Speaking at a recent public meeting in Amaravati, Naidu expressed concern over the state's birthrate, which currently stands at 1.6 live births per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1.
"South India is witnessing an aging problem," Naidu said, emphasising the need for families to increase their number of children, news agency PTI reported. He warned that if the current trend continues, the birthrate could plummet to one or lower, resulting in a society predominantly composed of elderly individuals. "If you (each woman) give birth to more than two children, then the population will increase," he stated.
Naidu argued that this issue transcends personal responsibility, framing it as a national concern. "This work I am doing (calling for more children) is not only for you but also for the nation, for the greater good. We can earn money by doing any work, but we will work only when we have children or when there is a population," he added. He pledged to take up this cause as a personal mission.
The Chief Minister referenced international examples, citing Europe and Japan as regions grappling with similar demographic challenges. "I recall my past call for population control, stressing the finite availability of land, water, and air resources. People heeded my word and reduced Andhra Pradesh's birthrate within ten years, which now risks the danger of its population falling down completely," Naidu explained, as quoted by PTI.
He also mentioned that he had previously barred individuals with more than two children from contesting local body polls but now intends to reverse that policy, advocating for more benefits for larger families. "We want to go for population management, instead of population control. Now the time has come; every family has to think about how to manage the population, then only there will be a future," Naidu remarked.
In response, senior YSRCP leader Jupudi Prabhakar Rao questioned the consistency of Naidu's stance. "What about himself (Naidu)? He has only one son, and his son (Nara Lokesh) also has only one son. He is a visionary, right?" Rao remarked, urging the CM to refrain from comparing his vision to that of historical figures who successfully implemented similar policies in the past.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee welcomed Naidu's call, with vice president Kolanukonda Sivaji interpreting it as an attempt to safeguard South India's representation in Parliament. "Because, under delimitation, Parliament seats in our region (south India) will reduce, and they will get added to the northern states. That's why, to overcome this, there is no time," Sivaji stated.
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Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Says Lok Sabha Delimitation Exercise 'May Encourage Couples To Have Many Children'
In a related context, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin commented on the population debate during a separate event, hinting that the Lok Sabha delimitation exercise might lead people to think about raising numerous children. He referenced a Tamil saying, "pathinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga".
"The Parliament delimitation process may encourage the couples to have many children and give up thoughts of a small family. But whatever be the outcome, provide Tamil names to your children," PTI quoted him as saying.
"In the past, the elders used to bless the newly married couples to acquire 16 kinds of wealth (pathinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga) including fame, education, lineage, wealth, and not 16 children. Gradually, people have come to believe in raising a small family for prosperity," Stalin remarked. "That blessing doesn't mean beget 16 children. Now a situation has arisen where people think they should now literally raise 16 children and not a small and prosperous family," he added.