JRD Tata Oration Three

JRD Tata Oration Three



1 Pages 1-10

▲back to top


1.1 Page 1

▲back to top


JRDTATA
MEMORIALORATION
THIRD
POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
NEW DELHI
(29th, November, 1997)

1.2 Page 2

▲back to top


JADTata, Founder Chairman,
Population Foundation of India
Born July 29,1904 - Died November 29, 1993

1.3 Page 3

▲back to top


JItD TfiTfi
MEMOltlflL OltfiTIOtt
THIRD
Dr. (Mrs) Najrna Heptulla
Depty Chairperson, Rajya Sabha
on
ROLE OF EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
IN POPULATION STABILISATION
POPULATIO"N FOUNDATION OF INDIA
, NEW DELHI
(29th November, 1997)

1.4 Page 4

▲back to top


I P~EFfiCE I
The Population Foundation of India was established
in 1970 by a group of concerned industrialists under the
leadership of late JRD Tata, to promote programmes of
population stabilisation inc1~ding family planning,
reproductive health and improvements of status of women.
It was called Family Planning Foundation until 1992, when
it was renamed to its present title in order to capture the
wider context in which family planning programmes
acquire relevance and impact. One of the important
objectives of the Foundation is to ascertain the views of
eminent personalities on population issues and towards
this purpose, it has instituted an annual oration on
Population and Development since 1995, its Silver Jubilee
year. The first lecture in the series was delivered by
Mr. Ramakrishna Hegde, well-known statesman and
political visionary in 1995. The 2nd JRD Tata Memorial
Lecture was delivered by Mr. Chandra Shekhar, former
Prime Minister of India who spoke on Population and
Development Crisis in India in 1996. The third lecture
which is contained in this publication was delivered by
Dr. (Mrs) Najma Heptulla, Deputy Chairperson, Rajya
Sabha and crusader for women's cause.
Dr. (Mrs) Najma Heptulla has spoken eloquently on
the need for a strong population stabilisation programme
in the country to achieve both economic and social
development and the eminent need for improvements in
the status of women in the social, economic and political
sectors in order to achieve the population stabilisation
goals. She argues that the family planning programmes
succeed in societies where there is equality of status for
women and autonomy in decision-making, both within
and outside home. She has argued that such a freedom for
women can be achieved if and only if women partake in

1.5 Page 5

▲back to top


decision-making roles in all sectors of the society,
especially in the legislative field. Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla
has been pioneering the cause for reservation of 30 per
cent of the seats in Parliament and State Legislatures for
women.
Dr Bharat Ram, Chairman, Population Foundation of
India, while welcoming the speaker and the audience, drew
attention to the urgency of the population problem. The
lecture was followed by lively question-answer session
in which media persons, scholars and population experts
participated. Dr. (Mrs) Najma Heptulla gave response to
the questions on wide-ranging issues such as the need for
involvement of men in family planning programmes, status
of women in society and the role of Islam in family
planning.
I am sure, this third JRD Tata Memorial Oration will
focus attention on the need for improvement of gender
equity and enhancement of status of women as an
important component and determinants of population
stabilisation programme in the country.
Dr. K. Srinivasan
Executive Director

1.6 Page 6

▲back to top


I THIRDJRD TATAMEMORIALORATION'
Speech by Dr. Bharat Ram Chairman
~
Distinguished speaker of the day Dr (Mrs) Najma
Heptulla, respected guests, ladies and gentlemen-
We have gathered here today for the annual JRD
'"
Tata Memorial Oration organised by the Population
Foundation of India.
It was actually under Mr JRD Tata's initiatives that
the Foundation instituted the lecture series in 1990
under the title "Encounter with Population Crisis". The
Foundation has been recognised as a premier NOO
working in the field of population stabilisation through
action research projects, promotion of reproductive
health programmes, research studies and imparting
training to field workers. It has performed an equally
important role in interacting with official agencies and
programmes to shape policies, programmes and
strategies in tune with the changing scenario.
Stabilisation of population in developing society is a
complex issue. It has much larger dimensions covering
social, cultural, economic and administrative issues,
which go beyond the narrow confines of fertility
control programmes. In dealing with this complex and
critical issue, it was necessary to keep the debate
continuing as the Foundation believed that effective
action followed clear thinking.
..
We have been fortun~te to share the thoughts of some
of the best foreign and Indian minds so far in this series,
which have greatly expanded our thinking and helped
achieve a clarity of vision. The first speaker in the series
was the Nobel Laureate, Dr. Norman E Borlaug, father of
the green revolution. Others who delivered these lectures
in subsequent years included Dr. M.S. Swaminathan,
I

1.7 Page 7

▲back to top


eminent agricultural scientist, Dr. Asok Mitra, an
administrator, scholar and social thinker and Mr. Vasant
Sathe, a former Union Minister with radical views. After
the death of Mr JRD Tata in 1993, the Foundation
rechristened the series as JRD Tata Memorial Oration
and we have had so far two outstanding politicians, Mr.
Ramakrishna Hegde and Mr Chandra Shekar delivering
these lectures. Dr. Najma Heptulla will be the third speaker
to deliver the JRD Tata Memorial Oration and we are proud
to have her in our midst today.
Dr Najma Heptulla is so eminent and her
achievements are so great that she really does not need
any fresh introduction. She had a brilliant academic career
with an M.Sc. in Zoology as a topper in the university.By
the age of 22, she had become a Ph.D in Cardiac Anatomy.
In her academic career, she served as a Professor of
Zoology and was Adviser on Middle Eastern Studies at
Harvard. She is also a Fellow of the London Zoological
Society and Member, University Courts, Aligarh Muslim
University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Her talents. were too varied to remain confined
within the academic sphere. She is one of the top
parliamentarians of the country and is known
internationally for her contribution to the parliamentary
system. She is a member of the Standing Committee
of the Presiding Officers of Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association, Member of the Executive
Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and she
presided over the Women Parliamentarians' Conference
of the IPU in New Delhi in 1993. She was Vice
Chairperson of the Executive Committee,
Commonwealth Parliamentary System in 1987, the first
woman ever to hold the office.
In her political career she was General Secretary,
All India Congress Committee (I) in 1986-87 and was
2

1.8 Page 8

▲back to top


incharge of youth activities of AICC and NSUI, the
student wing of the Congress Party.
In the role of a social activist, women issues have
been the primary concern of Dr Najma Heptulla and she
has worked relentlessly for the uplift of the status of
women and for the assertion of women's rights. She is the
Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on empowerment
of women and was leader of the Indian Parliamentary
Delegation to the special session of IPU on the occasion
of the fourth World Women's Conference in Beijing. She
was also leader of the delegation to the UN Commission
on status of women in 1997. Earlier, she was a special
UN invitee from Asia Pacific Region to attend Nordic
Women Parliamentarians Meet on Population in March,
1994. She was nominated as a distinguished Ambassador
of Human Rights by the UNDP. These are only but a few
of her important roles played in furthering the cause of
women and human welfare.
Dr. Najma Heptulla has travelled all over the world
in her various roles and is, therefore, endowed with a
liberal world view. She is an author in her own right
and some of her publications relevant to the population
issues are Reforms for Women: Future Options,
Environment Protection in Developing Countries, and
Human Social Security and Sustainable Development.
~
She has published several research papers and has
frequently contributed to Indian and foreign magazines
on issues related to women and social development.
~
We are eagerly waiting to hear Dr Najma Heptulla
today on the most challenging issue of population. She
will be speaking on the topic of "Role of Empowerment
of Women and Population Stabilisation" linking two
important themes close to her heart.
[J
3

1.9 Page 9

▲back to top


ROLE OF EMPOWERMENOTF WOMEN
IN POPULATIONSTABILISATION
Dr.(Mrs) Najma Heptulla
Deputy Chairperson Rajya Sabha
Dear friends,
.....It is an enriching experience to be sharing m}
perceptions on this vital issue with this august
gathering. I am particularly pleased to join you at this
Tata Memorial lecture. Before I start my presentation,
I wish to congratulate Dr Bharat Ramji and his team
at Population Foundation of India for taking this
initiative. The Foundation and the Parliamentarian's
Forum for Human Development, of which I am the
founder Chairperson, have been interacting on issues
of social importance. We always value the input by
the Population Foundation of India during the
interactions organized by Parliamentarian's Forum.
JRD Tata, in whose name this lecture series has
been organized, was a visionary. An eminent
industrialist, though from a different school of
economic thought, he was never oblivious of the social
responsibilities of a conscious citizen. He joined
government's efforts for the economic reconstruction
and industrialization. But in order to ensure that
society was able to avail the fruits of economic
development as also to sustain the growth, it was
essential to contain our ever increasing numbers and
use the available resources for the optimum benefit of
the people.
It is gratifying to know that this logic evokes a
concerted response in favour of the need to arrest the
4

1.10 Page 10

▲back to top


population growth. The Parliament has unequivocally
endorsed the necessary steps in this direction.
Legislature, across the party lines, is unambiguous in
approving the responses.
I will start my lecture with an observation made by
Bonar on Malthus-
.4
"Malthus was the most abused man of the age, put
down as a man who defended smallpox, slavery and
child murder-who thought the world so badly
governed that the best actions do the most harm, who
short took all the romance out of life" - unquote.
Today, Malthus's fears are coming true. He had
just warned us about impending man made calamity
of numbers. Though there are a few to suggest that
there is still a scope for higher population growth rate.
They argue that the annual rate of population growth
for last 8000 years roughly from the Paleolithic age
has been only .06% annually. They further inferred
that this figure was far less than 3% annual growth rate
required to meet Malthusian geometric rate of
progression to double each successive generation. I
wonder if such suggestion will only take us to the
threshold of our nemesis. I shall give a few facts and
projections and they indeed betray any romance in the
present scenario.
Though the mankind was the latest creature among
the biodiversity; its numbers have grown rapidly. It is
alarming that the rate of growth is ever increasing.
,
In 1798, when Malthus was writing his Essay on
Population, the global population was barely 1 billion.
Ever since due to industrialization and technological
revolution the population has risen to an ever
increasing rate. In the following hundred years the
world population doubled to 2 billion. And further
5

2 Pages 11-20

▲back to top


2.1 Page 11

▲back to top


following half century from 1925 to 1975, it doubled
again to touch 4 billion. By 1990 it was 5.3 billion.
Even though there is a decrease in the overall
growth rate of population from 1971 onwards,
according to UN projections, by 2025, the earth will
contain a population of around 8 billion people and
the global population stabilizes at 11 billion people in
the second half of the next century.
The worst aspect of this population explosion is
that these increases will be taking place largely in the
developing and under-developed countries. It has been
projected that from now to 2025, around 95% of all
global population growth will take place in these
countries. At current rate of population growth, we
should plan to accommodate a wo.rkforce of around 3
billion of people in developing countries by 2025. This
means these developing economies should be able to
cater the need to around 40 million new jobs every year.
These countries have comparatively low industrial
production. A high domestic consumption leaves
minimal surplus in the economy. Secondly, it is
observed that in the countries with large population,
the share of primary sector is higher in the economy.
Greater part of investment and other inputs go into
sustaining this large population. This does not leave
enough of investable surplus.
But it was not until second world war, the
demographers and economists recognized that larger
population adversely affected the economic
development because it diverted the investments from
growth related to inflated social demands of a larger
population.
In this context of developing countries the
6

2.2 Page 12

▲back to top


population explosion will intensify the crisis of social
security and sustainable development, urbanization and
urban poverty. Already, there is a trend among
developing societies that their workforce is abandoning
the agriculture and are shifting to urban clusters. In
1985, around 30% of the population of developing
countries was living in urban areas. By 2025 the figure
...
will be around 60%.
It has been observed by planners and
demographers that beyond an optimum level of
urbanization, the rate of depletion of the surrounding
hinterland becomes faster, eventually causing decay in
urbanization and urban poverty. Hence to sustain
urbanization, it is required that it must be kept within
the optimal limits.
It has been observed that unequal distribution of
population results in unequal distribution of resources
as well. In the developing countries the resources are
fast concentrating in the urban clusters. The
urbanization in these countries has been faster than the
rate of industrialization. It is more due to rising
concentration of population. This has led to urban
squalor, social tension and crime. Unfortunately, when
industrialized countries are giving up the large city
norms, the developing countries are still continuing on
the same trend. By 1990, 18 out of 24 largest cities of
the world were in these countries.
During the International Conference on Population
'"
and Development (lCPD) in 1994, it was apparent that
there was greater realization among the developing
countries about the inter-relationship between the
population and development.
Low levels of
technological progress coupled with rapid population
growth was placing immense strain on the social, and
economic programmes. There was unanimity on the
7

2.3 Page 13

▲back to top


issue that population growth must be balanced with
sustainable socio-economic development and the
regenerative capacity of the natural environment:
It must be realized that the present generation of
man is the trustee of entire biodiversity; we are also
the custodians of the interests of future generations.
Our teeming numbers can grow only at the cost of
delicate balance in nature. A further increase in our
numbers will encroach greatly upon the chances of our
future generations.
It is observed that persistent widespread poverty
and serious social inequalities do influence population
growth and its distribution. Therefore, it is sought that
the population should be integrated as a major issue in
the development strategies and planning at all levels.
All our calculations and policy initiatives will go
haywire if we fail to integrate population issue in the
broader development strategy.
There is now a distinct rise in social awareness on
population issues. Majority of countries have
formulated their respective comprehensive population
policies, and population has become an issue high on
their national agenda.
In our campaign against the numbers, our focus
has been to control the birth rate. The emphasis has
been on the linkage between small family norm and
greater opportunities for human resource development.
Beyond economic logic and policy initiative, the
problem has its sociological dimensions as well. We
will have to focus on the major sociological factors
that can influence the population issue. Social attitudes
towards women is one such factor. Traditionally,
women are deprived of a role in decision-making at
8

2.4 Page 14

▲back to top


all levels - from family to the highest policy-making
fora. This attitude has to be changed. The need to
give women decision-making rights was recognized by
the ICPD in 1994. Further in Beijing, at Fourth World
Women Conference, the need for overall empowerment
of women was demanded. That includes education,
health, employment opportunities, political and
economic empowerment. All these areas have
remained relegated to background for centuries. We
have charged our family planning programmes to more
comprehensive family welfare programmes on similar
lines. I think more focused approach to women's
empowerment is also required to supplement our policy
initiatives in population stabilization.
Achieving equality between men and women is an
accepted global norm and such a commitment by itself
is a hallmark for a democratic civilized society.
Further, it has been recognized that empowerment of
women has a significant bearing over the demographic
issues. At ICPD it has been recognized that
"Population and Develop~ent programmes are most
effective when steps have simultaneously been taken
to improve the status of women".
Among the developing countries where a
substantial part of the economy is in unorganized
sector, much of inputs and outputs of the workforce of
women remain unrecognized. Women control most of
the non-monetary economy like subsistence
agriculture, domestic labour and bearing and raising
the children. They also play significant part in money
economy like household industries, informal sector,
wage labour etc. In spite of their contributions, the
index of human development like education, health,
employment and life expectancy remain low in case of
women. Ignoring the needs of women has resulted in
uncontrolled population growth, high infant and child
9

2.5 Page 15

▲back to top


mortality rates, weak micro and macro level economy,
and overall deterioration in the human development
index and social development.
Though they remain the basic cohesive force in
the family and are the custodian of values, in a
traditional social milieu women have few choices in
life outside the marriage and bearing & rearing of
children. We cannot afford to exclude them from
having equal opportunities as men in their life. They
not only constitute about half the population but also
influence the future generations more significantly.
Investment in women should be seen in this light. It
will mean widening their choice and opportunities and
reducing their dependence on children for social status
and material support. Viewed in this angle, family
planning is one of the most important investment for
empowerment of women because it represents a
freedom of choice from which other freedoms flow.
Though the discrimination against women has
become an important national and international issue,
the attitudes and negative stereotypes about women
themselves prevent them from exercising their right to
choose and avail the opportunities in the society. They
are more likely to be employed in informal sectors of
the society and are often denied the basic labour rights.
Hence, they are relegated to margins in an urban
money-economy. They frequently lack the right to
make decisions within the family and also outside it.
There is a preference for male child in most of the
countries. In a report brought out by UNFPA, it is
indicated that there was a dire need for the setting up
a reproductive health care system, specially in the
developing countries. The worst suffers from the lack
of it have been women and children.
Many surveys have shown that most of the women
10

2.6 Page 16

▲back to top


in developing countries do want smaller families and
consider the size of family as an important factor in
their mobility. They prefer use of modern
contraceptives and want to-have spacing between their
two children. It is also observed that they are more
receptive to family planning initiatives than men. They
will have to be involved in formulating our
development strategy and population policies.
In a survey in OECD countries, a strong linkage
was observed between small family size and gainfully
employed women. Observation was also made that
there are greater chances of women taking up gainful
employment as the service sector expanded in the
economy. Jobs in social welfare, health, education,
consultancy services opened up larger opportunities for
women. These were less hazardous jobs where largely
women were employed. Another interesting finding
was most of the women wanted a harmony between
their familial responsibilities and job obligations.
Most of the developing countries today are passing
through the same phase.
Friends, such studies and recommendations are
important to generate public awareness. These are vital
in building a network among those interested in
women's upliftment so that an effective strategy may
be evolved. There should be documentation and
appreciation of vital contributions of women in
development. Society should respond to the needs of
lessening the double burden on women in her familial
and employment roles which in turn would encourage
them to take up the social as well as familial
responsibilities more effectively. There is also a need
for an efficient and widespread networking of family
planning and reproductive health care services in the
country. We will have to shun the stereotypes.
Women's health and family planning must come high
11

2.7 Page 17

▲back to top


on the national agenda. Woman not only gives birth
to a child, she also initiates him into the society and
moulds the society as a whole. An educated mother
educates a generation. Hence expansion and
encouraging education among women and capacity
building are the corner stones of our development
strategy. At present by one estimate, there are 960
million illiterate adults in the world and two-third are
women. This issue of educating women involves a
larger scheme of empowering women; empowering
them within the family and also in the larger social
arena.
In India, our political commitment is firm,
successive governments have taken resolute steps to
generate social awareness and provide necessary
infrastructure in this direction. The voluntary
organizations have played a crucial role in generating
awareness on population and women's issues. A
comprehensive plan has been formulated to contain
population growth rate so that we can invest more on
developing the available human resource. The issue is
debated at all levels of our legislature and executive.
We have a wide institutional network at grassroots
levels in form. of Panchayats and Municipalities.
Women are actively participating in these institutions.
These institutions should be mobilized to take up
population and women issues. It is important that these
issues are discussed and debated at every level. Social
attitudes are changing. A strategy developed according
to local perceptions, using regional symbols and idioms
will succeed in driving the issue down to grassroots
levels.
I have observed that certain under-developed
countries were successful in bringing down the
mortality and fertility rates over past few years.
12

2.8 Page 18

▲back to top


Remarkable achievements have been made by
traditional developing societies in their family planning
programmes. In Tunisia, the family planning
programme was adapted according to cultural tradition.
In Egypt, government successfully organized an
information and education programme on family
planning. This was well accepted by public. Similarly,
Kenya's success story was a result of strong
government commitment. In our neighbours,
Bangladesh has provided extensive family planning and
health care network in rural areas which involves local
female field workers.
We, in India, have at present more favourable
circumstances to make our population stabilization
drive successful. NGOs and experts have offered
invaluable support to government's endeavour. There
is a massive data bank and information network. We
have resource persons in form of peoples representative
and volunteers at every level. And most important,
there is a changing social attitude in favour of women
issues and family planning measures. A persistent
effort at this juncture will succeed in bringing down
the population growth rate. I call upon all the agencies
and NGOs as also the resource persons to mutually
supplement their efforts to the twin goals of
employment of women and population stabilization
which are closely linked to each other.
This February, New Delhi was host to the
Specialized Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union to discuss the issue of Partnership between Men
and Women in Politics. The Conference felt that
political empowerment of women cannot take place in
isolation. The social environment has to be made
conducive for women's empowerment. It was
suggested that women should be seen as an independent
socio-economic and political actor. It was generally
13

2.9 Page 19

▲back to top


recognized that stereotypes in gender discrimination
must be demolished first at the school level. A popular
campaign to achieve gender parity and women's
empowerment must be built with the help of Media and
NGGs. This campaign must be backed by necessary
legislative support.
Friends, I have tried to explain the close linkage
between population growth and women's
empowerment. The two are mutually interdependent
and vital for the socio-economic development of a
democratic country. Before I end, I would like to quote
Pt. Nehru's observation on this issue.
"If you want me to tell you what a Nation is like...
tell me the position of women in that country."
With these words, I thank you all for allowing me
to share my perceptions and observations with you.
Thank you.
0
14

2.10 Page 20

▲back to top


I QUESTIONANSWERSESSIONI
The programme ended with a question-answer session after
an hour long oration on "Empowerment of Women in
Population Stabilisation" by Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla, in
which eminent population experts, scholars and
mediapersons participated.
Ques. There are four points which I wish to bring to
your kind notice:
. Availability of contraceptives at public places other
than government health centres
. Quality of the contraceptives should be imporved
. Family planning programme should not be thrusted
or targetted, there should be a felt-need drive
. Quality of services provided should be linked with
safe motherhood and child survival programmes.
How they can be taken care under the umbrella of
"Empowerment of Women in Population Stabilisation
programmes."
(Dr S Nath, Medical Director. Sulabh
International Institute of Health & Hygiene)
Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla:
I agree with you that the quality of contraceptives should
be good but there are two types of contraceptives. One, the
oral pills and IUDs, which are basically for spacing and
limiting of children. Now there is a need for another kind of
contraceptives to control the spread of AIDS. The problem of
AIDS as such is not as serious as in United States or in some
other countries. But the danger is already glooming and we
have to be very careful.
As far as the availability of contraceptives is
concerned, in urban areas, it should be available at almost
all public places and in rural areas, through the panchayats.
Voluntary organisations can also take the responsibility.
Regarding thrusting of the programme, I am of the opinion
that in a war, we all have to put our heads together. It is war
against the population explosion. We can have two-fold
15

3 Pages 21-30

▲back to top


3.1 Page 21

▲back to top


campaign, one is persuasion, perseverance creating
sensitisation and the other is, we have to be, sometimes
aggressive in our persuasion. We have to convince them that
this has to be done as it is for their individual good, good for
the society and the country as a whole. Parliamentary Forum
for Human Development has been doing the sensitisation
programme not only for population control but for AIDS also.
Ques. How China has controlled its population and how they
have succeeded with one child per family norm.. In case they
are having more than one, some checks are there to give a
warning. I am of the feeling that by the year 2025, India is
likely to lead the world in relation to population explosion. I
would like to know whether any ordinance or law is to be
introduced during the proposed election that candidates having
more than two childen should be disallowed to contest the
elections from any party.
(Mr Raj Kishore Bhargav, Engineer, Lucknow)
Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla :
I agree with you that there should be some kind of
deterrence somewhere. Some time back there was a
government circular that a woman will not get her
promotion or extension or whatever the governmental
perks, if she has more than two children according to the
norm they accepted at that time. I said, why only a woman
should be blamed? Why not a man? The government also
introduced a rule that a woman will not get the maternity
leave after two children. I opposed the orders and reacted
to it sharply. Woman is not alone responsible for getting
pregnant. Somebody else is also involved. So, both of them
should be given the same kind of treatment.
If our Election Commission decides to have such a norm,
it should be implemented more for men than for women.
Ques. Everybody wants to reduce the population growth but
it is still high. Sex education is not clicking in the country.
There should be some movement on sex education. People
living in urban areas are not producing more children than in
rural areas because they are convinced about family planning
16

3.2 Page 22

▲back to top


and the cost of living is the prohibitive factor for them. They
cannot just afford to have the second child or third child in
their life conditions. Another point is whether the population
growth is relatively higher in slum areas than in rural areas.
The increase in population in cities is mainly because of
migration. What steps one can take to contain the population
in slum and rural areas.
(one of the participants)
Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla
Unfortunately, we have a mental block. We cannot
mentally differentiate between education and sex. Sex
education is a knowledge. One has to have knowledge
about one's own body, reproductive and other systems. I
must say here that I am a muslim and I have read the
Qur' an. It is a religious scripture but how a child is
conceived, how a child develops in the womb, how child is
born is written in the Qur' an. So, there is no taboo to talk
about fertilization and child birth because it is a natural
system which has an anatomy,a physiology.
Secondly, I agree with you, the population growth
regulation targets should be in the rural areas where there is a
great need. Women and men both are not educated. They
have to be given sex education and it has to be integrated with
health services so that the mother is strong enough to produce
one or two children. In urban areas, inflation is not the major
cause for birth control, the people have the ttnderstanding. In
Kerala, because the people were educated, they have small
family. Population growth has to be linked directly with
education levels and there has to be an integrated programme
for it.
Intervention by Dr Bharat Ram:
I am only supplementing what Dr Heptulla has said.
We are all discussing the problem and I hear everybody
saying, we should do , Who is "WE"? The "WE" is all
of us, but we never really think what "I should do".
Education plays a great role in population control. We
can see the vast difference between the two States, Kerala and
Uttar Pradesh. Kerala spends 16-17% of their state income
17

3.3 Page 23

▲back to top


on education while in the State of Uttar Pradesh, it is 3%.
I am very glad that Parliament had a session of five
days where five or six important issues were placed before
the country. One of the major statements was that States
must spend at least 6-8% of their income on education.
Intervention by Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla
I am happy that Dr Bharat Ram mentioned about the
special session of Parliament where we decided the Agenda.
It was the people's Agenda. We decided that population
stabilization is a core problem for the country. I must mention
here that three-four years back, the Rajya Sabha discussed
certain ministries in a budget session. I insisted on discussing
the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. That time, there
were not many people to speak on the subject. But now,
because of such sensitisation, there are a large number of
people who have taken up the issue of family planning and
population control and spoke about it in relation to women's
empowerment, environment and many other issues.
Ques. The experiences of yours and mine are somewhat
similar. When the population policy was discussed in the
Lok Sabha, there were only 13 members present and there
was nobody from the media either. During the debate, I
had raised a point as to why "Women" are being made the
target group? In our country, the women do not decide on
family size. It is the men who decide. What is the
government doing to make the men the target group for
population control? How much attention we are giving in
targetting men, without which it is very difficult to create
an impact on the society like ours to control the population?
(Mrs GeetaMukherjee.Mp, CPI)
Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla :
Geetaji is very correct because she has the same
experience as I have. One thing I want to say without prejudice
to anything. I think, the greatest damages to this programme
took place from 1977 onwards. What Sanjay Gandhi did about
family planning should not have been made a political issue.
The misinformation and the kind of whisper campaign really
18

3.4 Page 24

▲back to top


kills any programme, either good or bad. I have said many a
time at my parliamentarian's forum that we have to raise this
programme above party politics because this is not a party
programme. This is a national programme, as Geetaji very
rightly said. She does not belong to Congress party. She
belongs to Communist Party of India. She also feels that it
should be above the party line. It should be a people's
programme and that is the reason when we were discussing
the people's programme at a special golden jubilee session,
which was not a government agenda, people were enthusiastic
to talk about it.
Ques. Madam your present party and family both have
made tremendous sacrifices for the Nation. Whether
yourself and Mrs Geeta Mukherjee would take a lead in
motivating public opinion. Let us say, can we start the
21 st century by observing a marriageless year?
(Capt. Davar, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation)
Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla :
My dear friend, myself and Mrs Geeta Mukherjee will
be considered very biased people because we are already
married. But, I can say that the idea coming from the young
man is good, though it is not practical. It is not marriage
which produces children. It is the commitment of the people.
Intervention by Dr K Srinivasan:
You know, historically, in many Nations, there were
postponement of marriages for certain years, particularly in
China. But, it did not have any effect on subsequent fertility.
If you say that we can have a birth-free year, it may be
justifiable, but, marriageless year does not have any meaning.
Ques. Madam, you have talked about the "Role of
Empowerment of Women in Population Stabilization" What
is your contribution to population stabilisation? As you
have pointed out the scriptures of Qur' an say about sex
education, can these be given to school children.
(One of the participants)
19

3.5 Page 25

▲back to top


Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla :
As far as my contribution is concerned, I tried to sensitise
people. I have arranged many programmes and camps in the
slum areas in Mumbai. I felt that there was a need for it. I
never got scared. I always called this programme as a "family
planning and welfare" programme. I am of the opinion that
the word "planning" is the most important aspect of it.
As far as the writings in the Qur' an are concerned,
not many people read the translation of Qur'an. There
would be no harm if people are sensitised about it. God
never said that do not produce children but it is our
responsibility to give them a better life in any religion
whether Islam, Chistianity or Hinduism.
Ques. Havn't we outgrown the stage of debates,
discussions and motivations? Isn't time to take some
ruthless measures? If China has done it, why can't we?
(Ms Monica Das, Lecturer, Delhi University)
Dr (Mrs) Najma Heptulla :
Fortunately or unfortunately, China does not have the
same democratic way of thinking as we have. The steps adopted
by China cannot be implemented in the Indian context.
Fortunately, people do understand the need for limiting
family size if they have education. In India it is the programme
of people. From the very first day of marriage, if couples
start thinking that we should not have more children, then it is
possible. How many deterrants can the government or society
impose if people do not care? I don't think deterrants are going
to help beyond a limit. And unfortunately when anybody talks
of deterrants, the only target group becomes the women and
not men. It was tried on men but people reacted to that and
we know what was the resu\\t.
Intervention by Dr Bharat Ram:
It is no use comparing ourselves with China
because we have completely different political systems.
Education is the most important component and seems to be
the key to population control. Various studies have shown that
,wherever there are higher literacy levels and education,
particularly amongst women, the situation is much beUer. a
20

3.6 Page 26

▲back to top


Copyright 1997 POPULA nON FOUNDA nON OF INDIA
(Formerly Family Planning Foundation)
Published by:
H.P.Nagpal
Secretary and Treasurer,
Population Foundation of India,
B-28, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-II 0 016
Composed and Printed by:
GRAFFITI
11737, Street No.3,
Sat Nagar, Karol Bagh,
New Delhi - 110005
Tel. : 5816308, 5816396
Editing Assistance
Geeta Malhotra
--