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THE SPECTRE OF POPULATION

Effective Motivation to Control is Imperative

by A.Qayyum
THKateeof our popular ion is now sotlmated at about 110 millions and we are tncreasing at the rate of about three millions a year Even at a slightly reduced birth rate, our population by the end of this century to estimated to be In the region of between 130 and 138 million* The question Ie whether even with the highest rate of industrial and afeul tural growth this tiny land of ours would be able to sustain so vast a population above the poverty Une An equally impor tent aspect of this problem to the possibility of our landmass shrinking over the years. According to the New York-based World watch Institute, large areas of Bangladesh, nearly 75% of the entire coastal belt, are barely five feet above the surrounding sea level and coastal storm erosion in the delta regions to more risk-laden than almost anywhere In the world. Natural disasters in the Bay of Bengal must be considered more rather than less likely tn the future years. As a result, the low-lying areas will gradually become leas and less habitable and the housing, roads and other infrastructure necessary to accommodate the displaced people will make the habitable and arable land still more scarce. There will be the greatest concentration of human beings on the smallest land mass on earth. No amount of industrialisation and agricultural production will be able to sustain so vast a population far less improving the quality of their lives. The very thought of it to Indeed terrifying.
Our present economic planning does not seem to take into account the spectre of population which is staring at our face We continue to harp on some borrowed pet theories which, for our future survival, are not even distantly as important as our foremost need for containing the popu laUon and also for taking simultaneous steps for poverty alleviation and providing for at
least basic primary education for the wet majority What may be relevant to other countries need not necessarily be relevant to ours, for circumstances differ from country to country and each country must, therefore. so adjust Its plannings as •dll best serve the country's special needs
Industrialisation is capital intensive On a large scale. ft involves larger capital Invest ments. thereby necessitating the diversion of scarce resources from other more urgent sectors With the capital required to create one job in an industry, several hundred Jobs can be created in agricul ture and its allied fields Except for absolutely essential industries, other industries can wait. When we have some breathing time and. thereafter, the resources we can easily make up for the lost time The population explosion, however, does not wait The boom must therefore be halted right sow and today. Once millions and millions arc born, the country shall have to sustain them for decades to come and such a situation can only compound our already existing multifarious problems In consequence, any growth in our economy will remain only a distant hope and a totally unattainable goal
We are already one of the poorest and at the same time most-populated countries of the world and unless urgent and drastic measures are taken to contain the population, stark poverty will continue to stalk us for all time to come Our present economic planning and resource allocation are more in favour of those who arc already at an advan tage compared with the vast majority. Under emphasis on industrialisation will only perpetuate the existing situation
and. in feet, will make M worse day by day. The bulk of our resources should, therefore, be allocated, first. to population control and, secondly to poverty alleviation activities and education. Poverty alleviation activities can be In the fields of increased productivity In agriculture, co-operattve-based cottage Industries, community-based pisciculture cum-duck and poultry farming, etc., which are now being so successfully practised in many fast-developing countries of the East.
The traditional method of motivating people for family planning is a long process As time does not wait, such a
method is bound to negate Its own purpose In the context of the special circumstances pre vailing In our country, our immediate and principal alm should therefore, be to tackle our problem No. 1. I.e population boom, on a war footing in the same manner in which the entire nation was mobilised Io face the calamity which befell us early this year There should be a crash programme for family planning, say spreading over a 5-year period. Family planning Is an intensely personal matter. Besides, the vast majority of our population are illiterate. What Is needed Is a person to person and house-to-house approach Two field workers, one male and the other a female, should be assigned to each of the 85000 villages and. perhaps, about 10.000 or more bustees and slums in the urban areas A network of clinics should be established within a radius of every 2/3 miles throughout the country A few weeks orientation course should be ad quote to train the field work-Contraceptives and pills should be supplied free or at s nominal cost at all clinics. Sterilisation at the clinics should be equally free. Voluntary sterilisation should be encouraged by the offer of substantial rewards Male sterilisa tion being much easier and also absolutely harmless compared with female sterilisation rewards for the former should be double of that of the fetter.
Corruption of any kind at the clinics should be severely dealt with Preaching against family planning should be barred by law. It may also be made compulsory for all Imams of mosques to make the benefits
of family planning a part of their Friday "khutbas." There should be no dearth of field workers, for we have millions of unemployed educated boys and girls who will be only too glad to find some employment. There should also be no dearth of doctors, provided their remuneration is reasonably attractive and they are also provided with accommodation with minimum basic necessities. The principal alm of the crash programme should be to contain the population at the earliest possible time, partlcu tarty In areas where the growth Is the highest, te. in villages, bustees and slums. People with smaller families, say. with no more than too children should be rewarded In the form of cheaper rations, bank loans at reduced rates of Interest, etc. There should be a similar programme tn cities and towns where the success of the programme could be made more effective. In all organised Institutions. public and private, such as offices, mills, factories and targe establishments, a one child or two-child e:a-pk^ee should be fWen prefer ence over those with larger
lion ape eta I increment*, etc. An employee retiring with one or two children should receive additional retirement benefit* and increased pension com Cred with employee* with
ger families Conversely, employees having two or more children should forfeit further increments or promotion with the birth of an additional child and soon.
Our present system of the distribution of agricultural inputs is not only faulty, tn feet, it discourages farmers to use modern methods of increasing their productivity Fertilisers and Insecticides are available at Government sales depot*
alone. The depots are widely dispersed and farmers find it difficult to obtain their requirements without taking a day off from their work. More often than not. more than one visit becomes necessary due to tack of supplies or otherwise the sales staff being away on authorlsd or french leave. This is the personal experience of the writer who. living in the metropolise. has to spend about Tk 50 on transport to buy just one kg of fertiliser at a cost of Tk 8. If this to the case in the metropolis Itself. It is not difficult to Imagine what the actual conditions are else where in the country. Thia to considered excessive and beyond the reach of most farmers. The distribution of fertilisers and insecticides should be privatised Immediately The Government should sell the fertilisers and Insecticides In packets and bottles of various sizes to wholesalers and retailers through Government depots at all district and upazlla headquarters with the prices marked thereon. Including the commission of wholesaler* and retailer* These items will then be easily available at a» grocery shape and departmen $ tai stores throughout the country. Such a procedure will serve the purpose of its own maximise their commission the wholesaler* and retailer* will do their best to motivate the buyers to buy more and
such a method, the Government will be aMe to save a huge amount currently being incurred In maintaining numerous sale* depots for direct safe The savings could go towards reducing the prices of fertilisers and insecticides The Government should also immediately expand its activities for poverty alleviation on a war footing similar to those for population control.
Unless we can contain the population within the earliest possible time, our long-term grandiose plans will remain plans only on paper, for whatever growth we are able to achieve in the industrial, commercial and agricultural fields will forever be overtaken by population growth and we shall only get poorer than we are today With poverty on the one hand and widespread unemployment on the other. U will be llhe Utting on a volcano which could erupt any moment and destroy the entire fabric of the society. There would be no economic or political stability and crimes and lawlessness will he continually on the Increase which no Government will be able to contain Economic decision* should be taken on economic considers tlon* alone ao as to benefit the greater number and not on po litlcal consideration* or for cheap propaganda purposes without having regard to their economic consequences
The writer to ex-president. Metropolitan Chamber o/ Commerce A Industry and exchairman. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation.