Furthermore, another cause of the high population is the requirement of more children as labourers in the country than in the town. There are larger families in the country, because, with more people to help an increased yield is produced, ensuring a larger income, prosperity and affluence. However, if a family has less children, labourers have to be hired which costs money and therefore a reduced surplus. 300 million people don’t have an education or enough to eat in India. In the countryside every man woman and child works and all the jobs are manual, because suitable and affordable implements have not yet been introduced. Because of this, boys are seen as more useful than girls because they can partake in the heavy labour. If a family does not get a boy the first time, they have more children until they get one. When a marriage happens the girl goes and lives with her in-laws which provide extra help in the fields. The more sons a family has the more successful it will be. There are also a wide variety of differences between the country and town environment. In the Indian countryside, children are a vital requirement, whereas, in towns children are not needed to do manual labour so the families are smaller. Besides this, in towns medicinal cures are available so fewer children die and parents have an improved chance of keeping themselves and their children healthy. There is a higher infant mortality in the countryside because cures are not available, although, larger families mean more money. If a family has a son they very often move to the cities and send the money they earn to their families in the country. In the city it is harder to afford so many children because food has to be purchased unlike in the countryside. There is however a much decreased infant mortality in the city as a result of accessible remedies.
Ghandhigram is a charity established to help children and young mothers in the countryside. 75% of India’s population live in the countryside, where the health service is basically nonexistent. Ghandigram has presented the solution of looking after and concentrating on the health of very young children. A dramatic improvement has been seen already and the situation of children is gradually recovering. As well as health in the countryside, the organisation is also persuading many more mothers to send their children to school. Children are being educated with the incentive of free school meals provided. As a result of this a large proportion of the future generation will be healthy and educated, consequently, good jobs will be obtainable to them. In the villages where the scheme is operating feedback is very positive and Ghandhigram will hopefully create further alterations and enhanced conditions.
Contraceptives are of little use in India because they are not accessible and when they are, they are very expensive. Many people live too far from towns and cities to receive contraception. The female pills are very costly and, even if it is supplied for free, regular use and constant supplies should be applied. The pill needs to be taken for a long time and side affects are a hazard. The other option is condoms, but these require mutual agreement and for the man to be in full agreement and cooperation. A constant supply of contraception is needed. Sterilisation is a common solution to the problem. ‘The Mothers Place’ is a charity run sterilisation hospital where mothers can bring their children and stay for one week. During their stay various important and essential pieces of information about health are communicated to the mothers while they recover. ‘The Mothers Place’ accommodates and educates 6 to 7 thousand people each year. Generally the sterilisation process is offered to parents who can acknowledge and understand that having more children after the operation is not possible. Vasectomy is the male version of sterilisation and is external, therefore, less expensive. However, men feel worried and anxious about the consequences of this operation. Female sterilisation is most frequent because the women actually have to give birth.
There are countless variations which exist between different areas of India. In particular, the North and South are very dissimilar. In the Southern area of India rice is the foremost yield produced. For rice to be a thriving and profitable crop many people need to be included and the labour is intensive. Nevertheless, in North India wheat is the major grain developed, consequently, a reduction in labour is required. When employees are necessary, they are jobs appropriate only for Men. Daughters are not wanted and are, therefore, encouraged to marry early into a family a long way away. As a result of this many women feel isolated in India, whereas, their families receive additional dowry. The dowry is reasonably high in this area of India. In the South, although boys are preferred, daughters are satisfactory because they are free labour and still benefit and support the family’s welfare. Furthermore, because daughters are adequate, there is not so much pressure on them, therefore, marriages occur later in the South. Furthermore, women become married to inhabitants of the local area and go to live with their in-laws. This is beneficial for the receiving family because it results in free labour. Women encompass enhanced conditions, benefit from the allowance of expressing their views and opinions and have more influence on domestic decisions. The Dowry, however, is lower in the South than the North.
An additional problem which is of regular occurrence In India is sex discrimination. Many families solely desire a male child, so the boys are supplied supplementary nourishment and the females are left with a less than sufficient amount to consume. Because the majority of food is given to the male children, the girls often die from mal-nutrition. This dilemma has predominantly arisen in the North and is of great concern. If a family continuously produces female babies they are killed after they are born, because, the quality of life they will receive is inadequate. Many families who are already impoverished, employ, ultrasound implements to detect and distinguish the gender of the baby. This equipment is used in India more than anywhere else in the world.
In conclusion, after receiving and assessing the information this essay consists of, I have come to the conclusion, that many of the high population troubles in India have occurred because of differing and contradictory cultures and backgrounds. Many experience poverty because of the area they live in and the occupation of that person. The circumstances and employment of a family determines the number of children they need. In a countryside family more children mean more money, whereas, in a suburban area more children mean a decrease in profits. Overall, there are four main components which all contribute to the high population in India. These are whether a family lives in the North or South and the countryside or the town. The problems in India have explanations and the potential to be resolved. A decrease in residents would provide an enhanced, recovered and more positive environment for the future generation.
