RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday argued that each Indian couple should try to have three children based on the replacement-level fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman.
Addressing a press conference on demographic change and population management, Mr. Bhagwat said that according to experts, communities with a birth rate less than three are slowly moving towards extinction. He stressed the point of keeping the birth rate over three and said that "this happens in all countries."
"Doctors have told me that marrying at the right age and having three children ensures that both the parents and children remain healthy. Children in homes with three siblings also learn ego management and there is no disturbance in their family life in the future. This is what doctors have said... Our country's population recommends a birth rate of 2.1, which is fine as an average, but you can never have 0.1 of a child. In math, 2.1 becomes 2, but when it comes to births, after two, it has to be three," the RSS chief said.
Every Indian couple, he said, should, thus, try and have three children in the interest of the nation.
"There is a concern as well. Population can be a boon, but it can be a burden as well. You have to feed everyone at the end of the day. This is why the population policy exists. So, to ensure that the population remains controlled and enough at the same time, every family should have three children but not too many more than that. This is to ensure their upbringing is proper. This is something everyone should accept," he stressed.
Mr Bhagwat said the birth rate is decreasing for all communities and it is more visible for Hindus because it was always low. In other communities, it was higher but is now decreasing. "This is nature's way, when resources decrease and populations rise, it happens. But everyone should prepare the new generation to have three children," he said.
On demographic change, the RSS chief said it is a concern and a key reason population imbalance is conversion.
"We are concerned about demography and that is because it leads to certain consequences. The partition of the country - that is a consequence. I am not talking about India alone... Demographic imbalance is a concern in every country and that is because what raises suspicion more than population is the intent. One of the key causes of population imbalance is conversion, which is not a part of Indian traditions. Christians and Muslims also say conversion is not a good thing, so it should not happen," Mr Bhagwat said.
Another cause for an imbalance can be infiltration, Mr Bhagwat said, adding that it needs to be controlled.
"Our DNA is the same. Even in Europe, there are many countries which have the same ancestry, but a nation has borders. You ask whether stopping illegal migration is a good thing and I say if the DNA is the same, why don't people take permission and come? And they shouldn't come if they don't get the permissions. You can't keep rules and laws aside and enter a country. When people enter illegally, problems happen," he pointed out.
The government can stop infiltration to an extent but citizens can also help by not giving infiltrators employment, Mr Bhagwat said.
"We should employ people from our country. We have Muslims in our country too, and they need employment as well. If you want to employ Muslims, employ them, why do it for people from other countries? It's okay if people come through the legal route and get employment," he added.
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