Days after RSS suggestion, Uttarakhand govt forms panel on population control

Days after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) suggested that a population control policy be introduced in Uttarakhand on the lines of those in place in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Assam, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government on Saturday issued instructions for the setting up of a committee for the same. Chief secretary SS Sandhu will head the panel, an ANI report said.

As many as 35 affiliates of the Sangh called for ensuring a “demographic balance” in the hill states during a coordination meeting held recently. Claiming that there has been a substantial rise in Muslim population in areas like Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital over the years, the leaders sought appropriate measures in this regard. According to a report in The Indian Express, they also said there has been unauthorised development of religious sites belonging to the minorities and called for identification of such places.

Also read | UP, Assam’s population control policies in line with RSS demand

The meeting held in Dehradun last Wednesday was attended by BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, state unit chief Madan Kaushik, and RSS joint general secretaries Dr Krishna Gopal and Arun Kumar. Kumar is also the Sangh’s new BJP pointsperson.

The BJP-ruled government in Uttar Pradesh and Assam have already come up with policies that the Sangh has been advocating as part of a nationwide policy to check what it calls “demographic imbalance”. For long, the RSS has advocated a pan-Indian law that would be uniform for all communities and override religious or social restrictions pertaining to family planning.

Also read: What is two-child policy? What Assam and Uttar Pradesh have proposed

While UP has announced a legislation that will incentivise population control, Assam is also considering a two-child policy for access to government schemes.

The new law bars people from availing of government subsidies and other government benefits if they have more than two children.