After churches across the state preached against birth control, Mizoram’s most influential NGO – the Young Mizo Association has appealed to the people of Mizoram to have more offspring.
The appeal came after the organisation started its campaign to safeguard the culture and boundary of Mizoram, the general conference of the YMA had earlier declared the year 2018-2019 as ‘year to safeguard culture and boundary of the Mizos.’
Talking to Northeast Now, president of YMA Vanlalruata said Mizoram, especially the Mizo tribe dominated areas were under-populated and that the population growth of the Mizos was too low, compared to the national population growth.
“It is nothing new, the general conference of the YMA has already decided that awareness be given to the Mizo population to abhor birth control and encourage more births,” Vanlalruata said.
Mizoram has 52 persons in per sq km, which is the lowest only next to Arunachal Pradesh. The national average is 382 persons per sq km. As per the 2011 Census, Mizoram’s population is around 11 lakh.
“The growth of population in Mizoram, as projected in the last census is supposed to be multiplied by 2.35 per cent annually, it is only around 1.5 to 1.7 per cent,” YMA president Vanlalruata said.
Vanlalruata said that the low population in Mizoram was a hindrance to growth and said that rise of population in Mizoram could develop entrepreneurship in the state.
‘A balanced population will augment workforce. There are thousands of migrant workers and labourers in Mizoram. That space can be filled in by Mizos,’ he said.
The low population of Mizoram has had since long, invited labourers from other states, and element of illegal immigration arises by default, the unoccupied lands especially in the frontiers had resulted in the infiltration of the Chakmas in the western Mizoram, Vanlalruata added.
Not only the YMA, but also churches in Mizoram have already rung their own bells advocating more offspring to birth control.
Local churches of the Baptist Church of Mizoram have even gone to the extent of giving monetary accolade to their members doubling the cash incentive with every subsequent birth.