Population Management : A View

Dr L Krishnamangol Singh *

Mass of people at Ningol Chakkouba Shopping in November 2012 :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

India has followed different population policies since the launching of the First Five Year Plan. And it is well known that the current population policy is the National Population Policy (2000) and that all the population policies seek to promote family planning and family welfare in different states. It may, however, be noted that some of the aspects of the population policy of 1971 are still used as criteria for representation of members of parliament (MP) and allocation of financial resources.

The rationale behind this policy regime is to check or control rapid population growth and promote public health programme as a strategy for socio-economic development in the country. In the National Population Policy (2000), the components of the health and family welfare programmes have been deepened and widened. As a result, there are now signs of improvement in many aspects of demographic development in the country.

Today, there are strong linkages between population and health programmes, and several other socio-economic development programmes in the country. It may, however, be noted the National Population Policy (2000) does not specifically deal with the issues of population movement as India's population policy is basically concerned with the goals of population stabilization and family welfare of the couples and their children. This implies that our planners consider that the Central government needs to promote welfare for the people of the nation as a whole.

However, the actual implementation of the family welfare programmes is in the hands of the states. And the fertility rates for the country as a whole and also for different states have recorded a considerable decline that will help in achieving the goals of population stabilisation in the country. However, India is considered as a high fertility country in the global context, thereby suggesting that the population problem still continues to exist in the country.

It is, therefore, high time to re-examine the defects in the National Population Policy (2000) of the country in order to check or control population growth through further lowering the fertility rate.

The new national population policy needs to pay high priority to public health programmes and critical health care services and expertise in the treatment of the chronic and serious diseases or health problems of the people. The new population policy also needs to consider the inter-state movement of population or people within the national boundary or within the same nation (i.e. India) along with the policies for the promotion of health and family welfare programmes. There should be uniform policy for inter-state movement of population within the same nation.

It is observed that all restrictions and barriers are now being gradually removed in different parts of the world in the context of globalisation, and economic reforms and liberalisation that are actively undergoing or taking place within the framework of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. And, structural adjustment programmes (SAP) which seek to achieve privatisation and integration of the domestic economy with the world economy is a good illustration.

In fact, free movement of population or unrestricted movement of goods and services (people) will help in accelerating inclusive economic growth and development in the country as a whole and in the respective states in particular. In an economy whether the nation or the state where there is high rate of economic growth with quick distribution of incomes through the market forces and the increasing trend of aggregate demand (consumption plus investment) and where the market induces industrialisation, business expansion, generation of employment opportunities, removal of poverty, etc., there will be proper framework of social development without affecting the identity, dignity, human rights, respect of the people, decent living, good achievements of life not only within our life-time, but even after our death.

In fact, the expansion of market at different levels both at the factor and product levels can mobilise and absorb the entire labour force and the people in the development process. The isolated policy or autarky policy with full restrictions and introduction of permit raj system or license raj system will seriously affect the socio-economic, cultural and identity development of the people. The old and ancient laws or the rules and regulations should not jeopardise the process of modern economic growth and development.

As I have already emphasised in my paper on Laws and Development (published in Sangai Express English Daily), new laws will be required to address the development issues. Therefore, the outdated laws and irrelevant rules should not be applied in formulating public policies or implementing public action programmes. While there are separate laws for detecting and checking foreigners, there should be common population policy, which regulates and ensure free movement of the population or the people within the same nation.

It is high time that the Central government needs to reconstitute the National Population Commission and make a fresh draft dealing with all dimensions of population including the inter-state movement of population. And, there should be a uniform or common population policy for the country, which needs to be followed by all the states.

Coming to the case of Manipur, it is again high time to constitute a State Population Commission in order to examine the population or demographic issues and set out or initiate rationale population policies of the state in the national interests. Any hasty decision for imposing even a slight barrier or restriction without following a rational framework of policy will hurt the sentiment of our fellows and friends, and dignity of the citizens, which will have reverse and adverse effects on ourselves.

In such a critical situation, it would be difficult to find a solution. Here, it would be interesting to remember that most of the countries have now abandoned the "snack in the tunnel policy", which seeks to take advantage of the exchange rate depreciation. Likewise, we should not depreciate the human values and respect. In fact, the nation and the states need to promote a top-down and bottom-up participatory democracy in order to achieve the visions of development and happiness.

It is my view that in a vast country like India and a small state like Manipur, the hastily formed social organizations need not take over the functions of the government in respect of the sensitive issues concerning the whole citizens or citizenry of the nation. It is likely that there would be the problems of a parallel bureaucracy which would be dangerous than that of a real bureaucracy or the rational decisions of the government.

My logic is very simple. While the policy of demographic liberalisation or inter-state free movement of goods and services or the people within the same nation would help in the overall economic expansion and development, there can be some restriction or regulation in the respect of free settlement as citizenry in the state. This liberal outlook does not mean that the people in the state should sacrifice their identity, self respect, human right and all the core values of development.

And, I am aware that the model of liberal population policy suggested here may provoke public opinion, expert opinion, decision of the political leaders, etc. However, this is an area or issue that requires serious debates and rational policy decision of the experts. In this respect, the Central Government needs to reconstitute the National Population Commission in order to formulate or evolve a new national population policy to address the problems of inter-state movement of population.

And, at the state level, the Government of Manipur may take at least some steps for the constitution of a State Population Commission to examine all these demographic and socio-economic and cultural aspects of the State. It is my firm opinion that Manipur may now try for a multi-plural society without sacrificing the various aspects of culture, religion, identity, human rights, self respect, better quality of life, good attitude towards our life, economic and financial self sufficiency, good governance, etc. And these various aspects can be reconciled with the social and economic mechanism of development.

In fact, Kerala is a good illustration for a plural society since ancient times. Likewise, there are also other states which have good human relations and spiritual values within the same nation. Therefore, it can be said with some belief that if all the citizens or citizenry in the country need to promote new social order, communal harmony, economic cooperation, etc., Manipur can be a model for maintaining good human relations or friendly relations among all communities and citizenry.

In the new social mechanism of development, there cannot be a rat race for majority or minority. What is immediately necessary is to create scope for participation of the people in the development process and promote spiritual values which should be fitted within framework or system of development that would last.