Nobody seems to take note of the demographic explosion scenario on the Indian subcontinent. India seems to have forgotten their slogans’Hum do hamare do’ (We two – ours two) and ‘Pehla Baccha Abhi Nahin-Do ke baad kabhi nahin‘ (First child not now – after two never) maybe because of vote bank issues of minorities and poor people who believe in extra working hand. India’s population has grown rapidly, from around 350 million in 1947 to around 1.16 billion today. India’s population is expected to reach 1.65 billion by 2050, making India the most populous country in the world, beating China on this score alone! Some are congratulating that the rate of growth has now slowed, but is it a matter of rejoicing when future problems come your way? The seriousness of the threat posed by the population explosion is not noticed by the country’s policy makers and the implications of the population explosion seem to be lost in the political struggles between parties. There is no clear strategy on how to deal with exponential population growth which continues to have a destabilizing effect on society.
In Pakistan, a dangerous situation has been created by having one of the highest population growth rates in the world. This poses a serious threat to internal security given the madrasa’s poor education and poor economy. Pakistan is now the fifth most populous country in the world with a growth rate of 2.4% per year, four to five million children are added each year to the existing figures, which means that the population in 2030 will be about 300 million. With a rapidly growing population and a low rate of economic growth, Pakistan faces a dire situation. These alarming conditions have created social problems that cannot be adequately addressed unless population growth is brought under control.
Uncontrolled population growth leads to:
- Poverty.
- Poor schooling of children.
- Lack of appropriate health services.
- Citizen wellness programs. (Housing and other civic amenities)
- Increased migration to urban areas.
- Rapid urbanization leading to the collapse of civic infrastructure in cities. (Sewage networks, water supply)
- Unemployment and unproductive population become a huge burden on the country’s resources.
- Fertile ground for unemployed young people to join insurgents or terrorist groups.
Population projections from the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life (January 2011 report): The world’s Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35% over the next 20 years, from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2 .2 billion by 2030. The global Muslim population is expected to grow about twice as fast as the non-Muslim population over the next two decades – an average annual growth rate of 1.5% for Muslims, compared to 0.7 % for non-Muslims. If current trends continue, Muslims will represent 26.4% of the projected world population of 8.3 billion in 2030.
Growth rate of Muslims in European countries such as Belgium (139.8%), Czech Republic (300%), Netherlands (165.7%), Poland (233.3%), Spain (276.8%), Sweden (206.8%). ), and the United Kingdom (144.8 percent) saw an increase of 140 to 300 percent between 1990 and 2010. Germany is the only country with a double-digit growth rate of 65 percent. Muslims have increased by 150% in a decade in non-Muslim countries. For the same period, Muslim countries experienced only double-digit growth with Syria in the lead (88.4%) and Pakistan (58.6%).
The doctrine of Islam is based on the total Islamization of the world; Democratic countries like India are the hardest hit and some of their states are experiencing the worst demographic shifts. China and Russia are examples of growth rates in the lower double digits due to the exercise of severe measures. Russia took care of the Chechen Muslims and China took care of the Uyghur Muslims. China is an example of economic progress achieved because if its successful in controlling the population.
The demographic explosion is a threat to all national security which leads to unemployment and culminates in violence-related incidents where young people join certain terrorist groups or become part of civil wars. This commonly occurs in developing countries. Unemployed youth are a key source providing cadres for insurgency or terrorist groups. This mentality is more prevalent within the Muslim community because the religious sanction of childbearing is sanctified by Islamic principles and clerics. They also know that in a democracy, no law is permanent. Governments will one day change and the law may be repealed.
Madrasahs are an integral part of the Muslim education system in India and Pakistan. More than 90% of madrasa students in India come from poor families. The Afghan Taliban, descendants of Afghan refugees, were bred in madrasas and camps in Pakistan for the purpose of fighting American and foreign invaders. They studied in the Deobandi madrasas, where they were taught a very narrow and distorted version of Islam. The Madrasa curriculum does not allow students to pursue higher education or apply for competitive jobs because math and science of this standard are not taught. Apart from religious studies, the level of education is very poor, which leads to their unemployment and some of them joining terrorist groups.
A uniform civil code requires all Indian citizens to adhere to the same set of laws whether they follow Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or Sikhism. A Uniform Civil Code does not mean that people’s freedom of religion will be restricted; it just means that everyone will be treated the same.
It can be expected that most of the resistance will likely come from the Indian Muslim population if implemented. The Muslim community in India believe that the Uniform Civil Code Bill and the Population Control Bill are both directed against them, as they believe that every action of the ruling BJP party is directed against them. against Muslims, even though this is clearly not the case.
The writing is clear on the wall for the world and especially India to shape things to come! Now is the time to implement the two-child policy in accordance with the Uniform Civil Code. It has been pending for a long time and the current Indian Modi government has to ‘Bite the Bullet’ no one else can do it. The nation is bigger than the party. How can a democratic and secular government discriminate against its citizens on the basis of their religious beliefs and a violation of the fundamental principle of secularism? A clear call to save the country and its demographics, the government should introduce the Uniform Civil Code Bill and the Population Control Bill at the earliest, then repent a decade later. So let governments not blame previous governments for not making the tough decisions, whether in India, Pakistan or any country for that matter.
*Patial RC is a retired infantry officer in the Indian Army. Possess a unique experience of serving in active CI operations across the country and in Sri Lanka. Regular editor on military subjects in professional journals. The veteran is an avid mountaineer and hiker.