Patna: Division in Bihar NDA writ large over the population control policy as both JDU and BJP leaders are singing different tunes over the issue. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday had categorically stated that the population cannot be controlled by just making laws stressing upon education as the only tool to tackle the situation.
Nitish had asserted that if women would be educated then the fertility rate would fall automatically. However, the BJP leaders are singing a different tune over the policy. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai who was in Patna praised the Uttar Pradesh government for bringing the population control policy for their state.
“After a lot of reviews, the UP government has taken this good step. We also need to discuss what more steps can be taken to control the population,” Rai said at the party office in Patna. Not only Rai, even Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi differ from Nitish claiming that awareness among men is more important than women. In a written statement Renu stressed that men need to be more aware.
She also said that most of the men are scared of the sterilisation process and issues like a desire for a son by the husband and in-laws gives a lot of pressure on women to give birth to children and ultimately it results in an increase in the size of the family. At the sidelines of his Janta Darbar, Nitish had said that the Bihar government is taking all the measures to ensure the decrease in the fertility rate. He has indirectly rejected the need of making any laws for the control of the population.
Read:| The more educated women, the lesser fertility rate: Nitish Kumar counters population control policy
The issue has created a debate ever since Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has released UP Population Policy 2021-2030 on the occasion of World Population Day on Sunday in Lucknow. The policy has been launched to control the population and bring down the fertility rate in the state.
According to the policy, public servants who adopt the two-child norm will get two additional increments during the entire service, maternity or as the case may be, paternity leave of 12 months, with full salary and allowances and three per cent increase in the employer's contribution fund under the national pension scheme.
In case, if a person does not adopt the policy of two children, then his ration card will be suspended. The policy also has provisions to debar people who have more than two children from contesting local body elections. Pointing out the government data which showed that the more educated the women of the family, the lesser the fertility rate, Nitish had claimed that by 2040 the population growth rate will start falling.
Senior BJP leader and Union Rural Development Minister from Bihar Giriraj Singh has already backed the bill claiming that a similar policy should be implemented in Bihar as well. Patna based political expert Dr Sanjay Kumar feels that despite knowing the repercussions of population blast Nitish has maintained his theory to woo the minority voters. He also claimed that both JDU and BJP have their political interest as JDU wants to keep the minority in good humour whereas BJP wants to polarise the voters in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh election due next year.
Dr Sanjay too stressed that there was a need for a population control policy to tackle the explosion of the population.
Read:| UP govt releases new population policy for 2021-2030
“Uncontrolled population is not the issue restricted to BJP and JDU. Both have their political interests. There is a need for such a policy in the favour of the development of the nation. Making awareness through education is good but what is wrong with making laws. Nitish Ji has made several laws in Bihar but never bothered about making any awareness. Why did Nitish Ji not make any awareness before implementing prohibition in the state? Due to unawareness, the prohibition in Bihar is a complete failure and a parallel industry has been established. Why Nitish Ji having the double standard theory?,” Dr Sanjay asserted.
He further said, “We have limited resources and the population is increasing continuously. The fertility rate of the entire nation has decreased, it's not only Bihar which Nitish Ji claims. Awareness and education is a good thought but things will only streamline when a law would be made. Nitish Ji is fearing minority votes going far from him if he makes such laws in the state. It is not for the first time, Nitish Ji has a different view on national issues. In the past as well, he has expressed his view different from the allies.”
Earlier also, Nitish had shown his rigidness over contentious topics like triple talaq and NRC apart from uniform civil code. Interestingly, JDU parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha has backed the Yogi's policy terming it a welcome move to control the population. Kushwaha said this in Motihari during his ongoing statewide yatra. Kushwaha stressed that people will not be able to get the benefit of the development if the population is not controlled.
Opposition party RJD called the policy an agenda of RSS and stressed that they will not allow such policy to get implemented in Bihar. "Population control policy is an agenda of RSS which has backed Nitish to remain on the post of the Chief Minister. BJP and JDU want to divide the country. If they want to control the population, the government must call all-party meetings and decisions would be taken with consensus. Till the time Lalu Prasad Ji and Tejashwi Prasad Ji are there, we will not allow such black law to get implemented in Bihar, "said RJD MLA Bhai Birendra.
Read:| UP population bill draft: Those with more than two kids can't contest local polls
