masaya game RSS Chief Bhagwat Urges Couples To Have At Least 3 Children
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat | Photo: PTIRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat | Photo: PTI
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has urged couples to have at least three children to prevent the population from decreasing. Speaking at the ‘Kathale Kul (clan) Sammelan’ in Nagpur on Sunday, he said that ‘kutumb’ (family) is an integral part of societymasaya game, with each family serving as a unit.
"A declining population is a serious issue. Demographic studies suggest that when a society’s total fertility rate falls below 2.1, it risks facing extinction. This decline does not necessarily require external threats; a society can gradually fade away on its own," Bhagwat said.
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He said, "Many languages and cultures have already disappeared due to this issue. Thus, it is essential to maintain a fertility rate above 2.1." Referring to India’s population policy, Bhagwat said, "The policy, formulated either in 1998 or 2002, clearly says that the total fertility rate should not fall below 2.1. Now when we say 2.1, it is not feasible to have children in fraction. So when we say 2.1, this means it should be more, at least three. The (population) science says so."
Bhagwat was referring to the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), or the number of babies an average woman aged 15-49 bears over her lifetime. India’s TFR has declined from 2.2 to 2 while the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate has increased from 54 per cent to 67 per cent, according to the National Family Health Survey data released in 2021.
A TFR of 2.1 is considered the "replacement-level fertility," meaning that two children are enough to replace a woman and her partner. Since not all infants survive to reach reproductive age, the replacement TFR is slightly above two. This ensures that each generation can replace itself. Although populations can still grow with falling TFRs, an absolute decline will only occur if TFRs remain below replacement levels for extended periods.
This is not the first time Bhagwat has addressed the population issue. He has previously talked about population control and religion-based population balance.
In 2021, during a book release event in Assam, Bhagwat made a controversial statement claiming that since 1930, “planned efforts” had been made to increase the Muslim population in India. “Since 1930, there have been organised attempts at increasing the Muslim population in a planned manner. The design was to increase population in order to exercise their dominance and slowly turn this nation into Pakistan,” Bhagwat said.
India Growth Story: What Should Be The Next Steps To Reap Demographic Dividend? Latching on to Bhagwat’s recent remarks, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, “PM Modi had earlier said that Muslim women produce more children.” He also referred to Modi’s remarks that if Congress comes to power, it will redistribute gold, including ‘mangalsutras’, from mothers and daughters among Muslims.
"Bhagwat says produce more children. Now those in the RSS should start marrying," Owaisi said.
Bhagwat’s latest comments come at a time when Chief Ministers from the South have expressed concern about the ageing population in their states. In Octobermasaya game, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, whose party is part of the BJP-led NDA, called for more children to be born in his state. He said, “We are considering offering incentives to families with more children and encouraging couples to have larger families.” His government also abolished the two-child rule for candidates contesting local body elections in the state. It is expected that Telangana will soon follow a similar approach.