Long ago there were many large families in India with a maximum of sixteen children and a minimum of half a dozen. Today we find almost every educated couple adhering to family planning. They are happy with just one or two. But it was Thanthai Periyar who used to speak and write much on the importance of a small family. He caused an awareness that a small family is a happy family. He did mean “Small is big”, as far as families are concerned. His foresight envisioned small families all over the country. This month, let us recall his speech on this subject.
Dear friends, cadres and well-wishers, let us discuss the advantages of small families. Imagine one large bread being shared by a family of six children, including the parents. Each may get a loaf or two. The hunger would hardly be satiated. If the bread of that size is shared by just four in the family, including the parents, would it not make them all contented? I drive home my point that a small family is a happy family.
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Planning the family
Men and women do not plan to fail; they just fail to plan their family. Birth-control is an ideal solution. Comforts and facilities are
reduced when there are more children under the roof. Population goes on increasing but most of our people are below the poverty
line. Many are still unemployed, but they go on giving birth to more and more children. They are unable to provide children
with nutritious food, decent clothing, comfortable living space and quality education. Why do they not plan their family? This is
my question.
How can physically weak people build a strong nation? If mental health is affected how can our youth advance in life? Without
a sound mind in a sound body nothing can be achieved. A crowded and thickly populated state would also face communicable diseases that could cause epidemic, endemic and also pandemic ailments eventually. A society of sick people can never escape from
sorrows and sufferings. Hence, wisdom lies in planning our family.
Western countries
Most of the countries in the West have developed mainly by a check on the growth of population. They adopt various methods and means to control the birth rate. Scientific temper helps them avoid unwanted pregnancy. People in those western countries are able to provide their children with a comfortable life in all respects. Our people should learn much from their life style and wise decisions. They have a rational outlook in life. Our people think children are gifts from the so called God. Termination of pregnancy is considered a great sin by our gullible people. This is absolutely a stupid concept. Birth and death are cyclic occurrences caused by Nature. People in Western countries are growing faster because they are truly progressive. Frigid and infertile women are tortured in our country by parents-in-law and husband. Most men remarry if the wife is found to be sterile. This is ridiculous. It is undeniably enslavement of women. A woman is much more than flesh and blood. They should not be brushed aside merely as store houses of pleasures. Women are not a factory for generation of lives. There are millions of childless couples in western countries. They take it easy and carry on with their life. Some of them adopt babies and find solace. Such people there are all happy since they are uninhibited. Unless our people shed their inhibitions, they would never be able to plan their families.
Director Dr. Venugopal
On 18th August, 1972, the Director of Family Planning Board Dr.Venugopal met me and discussed matters related to family planning.
Some of the eminent medical practitioners also accompanied him. They requested me to support their mission. They commended
my rationalist principles and my propaganda. Since the people of Tamil Nadu have benefited much by my speeches, the doctors asked me to educate the people and make them realise the importance of family planning and birth control. This discussion took place at the Travellers’ Bungalow in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. I told them that I had been already propagating since 1929 itself, the dire need of downsizing families. I explained to the group of doctors why mere propaganda is not enough. Certain compulsory schemes have to be imposed by the Government. For instance, raising the marriage age of girls as 22. This would prevent girls giving birth to three or four children even before they attain the age of 22. Equal opportunities should be given to women in employment opportunities in order to help them achieve economic independence. This must be done in almost all the fields and in all the sectors. Being involved and engaged in jobs would make them fully occupied. They would not even think of augmenting the size of their
family. Advancement in life would become much more important. Begetting children would be a matter of secondary importance.
Ultimately they would also safeguard their health and well-being. Men and women with a large number of children must not be given jobs. This would be a threat to the couples of next generations. I have stressed this in my public speeches. Employees who do not restrict birth after the second child should not be granted promotions and pay-hike. Let this be a punishment for them. In my opinion, large families could also cause economic offences. In order to eke out a comfortable living, some men may indulge in
petty crimes like stealing too. I made it clear during our discussion that the Government should also take necessary steps and chalk
out remedial measures to control the growth of population. Priority should be given to women in all sorts of jobs. Especially, teaching jobs must be reserved for women. Women can resist against forced conception if they are able to earn their bread and butter by existing as career women. Women should be provided with training in various small scale industries too. If we go on
empowering women they would become Self- reliant and bold enough to face all challenges in life. The tendency of longing for children as heirs of property is also undesirable. Parents-in-law who torture daughters-in-law on the grounds of infertility must be treated as criminals. No man should be allowed to remarry just because the wife is unable to beget an heir for him.
Encouraging birth control
The Director of Family Planning Board, Dr.Venugopal told me about birth control methods – hysterectomy for women and
vasectomy for men. I assured propagating these methods among our people and help the medical practitioners as well as the Family Planning Board achieve their objective. I suggested encouraging couples by financial help for post-surgery recuperation. Men and
Women who come forward for sterilisation should be provided with various other comforts such as life-long health care; free education for existing children etc. An over populated country means a number of miserable families and worried parents. Hence, I would advise strictly enforcing birth control. Newspapers too can play a vital role in propagating the advantages. People must give up irrational belief and use their power of reasoning. I am glad to find most of the elected representatives in the Legislative
Assembly raising their voice in support of family planning. I also feel most of the men do not come forward to fight against social injustice, joining our movement because they are bound by the chains of family responsibilities. As the heads of large families their life is already a struggle for existence. If the families are small, they would be free to enter public life and serve society.
Collective efforts
Notices, leaflets, small pamphlets and books should be published highlighting the necessity of family planning. It is more important than the propaganda against the spread of infectious diseases. We need exclusive outfits and forums for this purpose. That is my firm view. By our collective efforts we can succeed in our mission.The Drama and film industry can also contribute to our mission. In the stage plays and movies, effective scenes can be inserted to propagate the importance of family planning. I am told that in countries like England, literature pertaining to the importance of small families are available to educate the public. We can also do such things to augment awareness.
Priority should be given to women in all sorts of jobs. Especially, teaching jobs must be reserved for women. Women can resist against forced conception if they are able to earn their bread and butter by existing as career women. Women
should be provided with training in various small scale industries too. If we go on empowering women they would become Self-reliant and bold enough to face all challenges in life. The tendency of longing for children as heirs of property is also undesirable. Parents-in-law who torture daughters-in-law on the grounds of infertility must be treated as criminals. No man should be allowed to remarry just because the wife is unable to beget an heir for him
Collective efforts
Notices, leaflets, small pamphlets and books should be published highlighting the necessity of family planning. It is more important than the propaganda against the spread of infectious diseases. We need exclusive outfits and forums for this purpose. That is my firm view. By our collective efforts we can succeed in our mission. The Drama and film industry can also contribute to our mission. In the stage plays and movies, effective scenes can be inserted to propagate the importance of family planning. I am told that in countries like England, literature pertaining to the importance of small families are available to educate the public. We can also do such things to augment awareness.
Minister for Family Planning
On 9th March, 1970, I met Dr.Chandrasekhar, the Union Government Minister for Family Planning. He discussed this issue with me. He praised me that I was the first person to speak and write about family planning in 1928. He wanted me to explain what prompted me to probe into that countrywide problem. I explained to him about my interaction with all types of people since my boyhood
days. I told him that I always mean what I say and say what I mean. Whenever I felt something is wrong, I boldly condemned without hesitation.
Craving for a male child
If a couple has two daughters, they begin to crave for a male child as if life is meaningless without a son at home. If the third birth is again that of a baby girl the disappointment makes them almost insane. Thus they go on and on with their attempts in vain. They visit temples all over the earth and waste their hard earned money on prayers. They curse their destiny and think they are punished for sins in their revious birth. Is this not ridiculous? \A baby girl is not a liability. Give her good education and placement in a career. She could be helpful to the family. Even if her husband turns out to be a male chauvinist she can leave him for ever and still survive. In a recent meeting at Trichy I spoke on this subject and made the listeners understand. Empowering women can thus help in a way control the growth of our population. Rational thinking is essential for self-confidence. I started Self-respect movement in 1925 with the basic aim of promoting rational outlook in life. This could in turn crop up self-respect. If our people are soaked into all these
they would stop thinking that the birth of a child depends on the so called God or destiny. People who continue to remain uperstitious would certainly repent one day or the other. But by then it would be too late.
Science and Technology
Today, we find amazing progress in the field of Science and Technology. There is a definite cure for most of the diseases. Parents should depend on doctors rather than on gods and destiny. Taking care of one or two children is not difficult. Our people should realise this truth. After delivering themselves of a child women can get good treatment during the period of recuperation. This was not possible a few decades ago. Now, in 1973, the population of Madras is 30 lakhs. This may multiply rapidly if the mortality rate decreases and the birth rate increases. Therefore people should reach a higher level of intellect and plan their families. Long ago I purchased one lakh square feet of land at the rate of just one rupee per square foot. Today, in 1973, according to the taxation
authorities the cost of one square foot land is Rs.70/-. Even if someone comes forward to buy my land at this rate, I would not sell because the land is needed for the work of our movement. If our population goes on increasing, there will be dearth of vacant land and the value would also spiral up. With the fast advancement of science and technology, the cost of production of almost every necessity is increasing. Our economy would be under severe threat if we fail to curb the growth of our population.
Widespread changes
Compared to the past, our people are better today in throwing overboard outdated beliefs but I feel we still have a long way to go. People have started realising the hazards of over population. By the impact of our movement and its relentless propaganda, there are changes. Literacy has helped our people give up irrational practices. This change of attitude must be consistent. Most of my friends passed away at the age of 40, 42 or 50. I am now 94. I exist by the good health care provided by medical practitioners but I
feel life should be big-not long. The average life span of human beings has increased. If people keep their families small, they can
lead a comfortable life making use of all the facilities available today in every field. People get a large share of everything if the sharing persons are not large in number. I wrote a book 30 years ago on the importance of birthcontrol.Ihadto endureabusesandbrickbats for my views. Religious fanatics rebuked me but I was undeterred. No one understood me till 1950.
Gradually people started realising the perils of over-population I am sure, a complete change in their mindset would certainly happen with the passage of time.
Rationalist movement
I am glad to see the Rationalist movement of ours gaining momentum. Illiteracy keeps our people in the darkness of ignorance. People should stop blaming the Government for their senseless behaviour. The fault lies in themselves. By intensive propaganda we have to bring about a total transformation in the attitude of our people. Our cadres are helping me in this noble task. We would succeed certainly in making all our people realise that family planning is inevitable for the welfare of society and the entire country. As far as a family is concerned, “SMALL” is actually “BIG”.
Source: Collected works of Periyar E.V.R.
© 2007
Concision by: M.R. Manohar
