PMs Demographic Mission betrays desperation and insecurity

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-16 05:30:10 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-16 16:25:06

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Narendra Modi's unusual focus on population control indicates concern over the BJP's political prospects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on population control in his Independence Day address have sparked a mixture of confusion, concern, and criticism. While the appeal itself is not without precedent, the unusual urgency and tone chosen to make the point betray a certain degree of nervousness and paranoia within the BJP leadership.

Among the highlights in Modi's speech was the appeal to young people to "make the resolution that not more than two children will be accepted in the family," as well as a call for a "demographic transformation" to rebalance India's population pyramid. This came amid a backdrop of recent electoral losses for the BJP, dwindling socioeconomic growth, and mounting insecurity among the Hindu majority.

Modi's concern, it would seem, is twofold: political and demographic. The prime minister is clearly anxious about the political fortunes of his party, which has suffered significant setbacks in state elections over the last year. In such a context, appealing to voters' fears and aspirations concerning population growth is a tactic that, while regrettable, is understandable from a purely political strategy perspective.

However, the emphasis on a "demographic transformation" also reveals a second concern: that of India's changing population dynamics. With the stagnation in population growth and the gradual decrease in under-18 population, India is poised to see a major shift in its population pyramid, with implications for economic productivity, consumption, and savings. It is understandable that the government wants to ensure the population structure evolves in a way that boosts India's competitiveness.

But Monday's address raises broader questions about the role of the state in citizens' private lives and the extent to which citizens can be encouraged or compelled to make personal choices to serve the state's broader agenda. Many will be closely following whether the prime minister follows through on his comments and announces more stringent measures or incentives for population control. Until then, Modi's focus on population control reveals a sense of desperation and insecurity within the BJP as it scrambles to retain its electoral dominance.

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