Is having children the new political battleground?

Having children seems to have been a big topic in the recent election. For example, more than 300,000 babies will be born in Delhi in 2022 and 2023, and the BJP has promised to provide Rs 21,000 to pregnant women if they win the upcoming elections. This is a huge amount of money, around Rs 3,150 crore. The promise comes in the wake of a proposal by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu that to contest in local body elections, candidates should have at least three children. Babies look likely to become a key issue in Indian politics.

However, having children is a personal decision. While the government can encourage families to have children, it should not force people to have large families. Naidu’s idea is terrible and others have been suggesting that people should have more children. For example, RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat said couples should have at least three children, and some organizations are providing funds to Brahmin families with four children in Madhya Pradesh. Even in other parts of the world, such as the United States and Italy, leaders speak openly about low birth rates and criticize people for choosing pets over children.

But there are problems with the push for larger families. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin also supports having more children, possibly because southern states may lose seats in elections if population size becomes the main factor in deciding how many representatives a state will have. However, experts such as former Reserve Bank of India governor Subbarao argue that encouraging immigration would do more to address population decline than forcing people to have more children.

Ultimately, women should have the freedom to decide if and when they want children. Having many children means spending a lot of time away from education or work, and our current population already lacks job opportunities. Plus, childbirth is risky—and history shows that it doesn’t always end well. A queen dies giving birth to her 14th child, and the tragedy ultimately doesn’t seem worth it. So maybe instead of focusing on having more kids, we should focus on creating a better life for the kids we already have.

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