Population Explosion

[raj2rif]

Population growth in India is a serious concern. We are inching towards a situation where our domestic resources may not be able to support our countrymen. It is time that we seriously think about strictly implementing "One Child Norm".

I know it is a difficult task, but we really have little option. Unfortunately, our politicians are scared of even talking about it, having seen the fall out of this policy during emergency period when it was not properly implemented.

I want members to give their views on this topic with some solution that can be implemented.

Should there be a Non Govt Org which can promote this by educating people. If so, what authority it will actually have to implement it and how is it going to be funded.

I have a very unconventional idea and I am not even sure if that can even be implemented. The idea is of launching a political organization which should contest elections purely on this agenda. May be, this could even be successful. Along with this aspect of education, health care and corruption could be added.

We have to raise funds for this. I remember hearing that Ch. Devilal once asked people to not only give their vote but one rupee also for his party to raise adequate funds. I think that was a great idea. We could also get on such policy some help from MNCs.

I really don't know if it can work but surely could be tried out.

May be some one among us can come out with some really practical soluton.

[rksehrawat]

Col. Sahib,

Yes, the problem of population is a grave one. The reasons are manifold. First and foremost there is no political will and we have proved to be too lax in carrying forward the programmes and schemes. India being a multi-religious country, population cannot be controlled by allowing people professing one religion to have as many children and forcing others to adopt small family norms. This is one area where we have to prove that we are secular. Just by forcing a few government employees to follow small family norms, the purpose is not served. When it comes to controlling the growth, our leaders have proved to be hypocrites, office bears of panchayats are being dismissed for not following 2-child norm whereas people having as many as 9 are Ministers and Chief Ministers. Moreover, if an office bearer is a muslim or christian, rules are different. It has counter-effect and the people belonging to majority communities tend to produce more.

Second, family planning is adopted by educated and more well-to-do families whereas the need is more at the lower strata of society. Those who can afford to educate their children are having less of them, and those who can't are producing more children. Hence, the problem with education and poverty levels. Unless the principle of 2 children norm is imposed without taking into consideration the religious following, the problem will only aggravate. Moreover, the lead must come from top. Our politicians and bureaurates should act as the trend-setters.

Third, the age old belief that without a son a man's life is worthless, has to be eradicated. The custom that a man's pyre must be lit by a son has to be done away with. Rather we should tell people that "a daughter is a daughter all through the life, a son is a son till he gets a wife".

[rkumar]

Col Virendra S Tavathia(Retd) (Oct 02, 2004 08:46 p.m.):
Population growth in India is a serious concern. We are inching towards a situation where our domestic resources may not be able to support our countrymen. It is time that we seriously think about strictly implementing "One Child Norm".

I know it is a difficult task, but we really have little option. Unfortunately, our politicians are scared of even talking about it, having seen the fall out of this policy during emergency period when it was not properly implemented.

I want members to give their views on this topic with some solution that can be implemented.

Should there be a Non Govt Org which can promote this by educating people. If so, what authority it will actually have to implement it and how is it going to be funded.

I have a very unconventional idea and I am not even sure if that can even be implemented. The idea is of launching a political organization which should contest elections purely on this agenda. May be, this could even be successful. Along with this aspect of education, health care and corruption could be added.

We have to raise funds for this. I remember hearing that Ch. Devilal once asked people to not only give their vote but one rupee also for his party to raise adequate funds. I think that was a great idea. We could also get on such policy some help from MNCs.

I really don't know if it can work but surely could be tried out.

May be some one among us can come out with some really practical soluton.

Dear Tavathia Sahab,

I have very radical views on this subject. I know I am going to raise many controversies here, but still I would like to share with memebrs;

1. According to me the right of reproduction to every male itself is highly unnatural. Of course I can understand how this must have started among humans, but certainly it created more problems than it solved. Today we have people with genetic diseases also reproducing unhealthy siblings.

2. Population is a double edged sword. If we do not have healthy and well educated population, its a liability and vice verse. If one looks at the population density of India, we are no where near to Japan or western Europe. We have far more natural resources than Japan or many western European nations. Our problem is like that Gold mine where the miner takes away the gold and leaves behind the debris scattered all around. We have not been able to mine and process this human gold locally. I see no difference between a poor man selling his baby for the food and a poor nation expoting its best brain..As I wrote in one of my other post, its not the common man who changes the fate of nation or society, but its these high quality brains.

In summary I won't really worry so much about population. I would rather worry about the debris left behind in every village and every where after the best brains have left..Look at Bihar. They have all the resources, best brains.However, its all in mess.
Population explosion is more of a menifestation than the problem.

Rajendra

[uday]

1> Gaddey logon ki (jinko marney ke baad jameen main gaad diya jata hai--> Mohammedins ) ke saath ladney ke liye bhi to kuch chiayye na :-) :-D :-)

Yeh mulley to sudhreyngey nahi... 4 bewi --15-20 balak ...saab Allah ki meharbanee.... or hum Hindustan waale inko hamesha Aalapsankhayak ka ruutaba dete rahengey....

Inki khaal taraniya bhi to koi chaiiye na :-) :-) see last 7-8 yrs situation in meerut and nearby ...

bachpan main baat dekhtey they ... Paper main padhtey they ki Falaana jagah Hindu -muslim ke vajah se curfew lag jaye or school ki chootey...

per kabhi laga hi nahi aapney yahan per :-( kyonki our grandparenst had already eradicated this time-to-time common disease !!

2> But, in atcual, for an fast growing nation like India Huge population can be an asset as a set GOAL if we use them as a well planned workforce like China

what do u say ? All suggestions are welcome.

[nvedwan]

Religion is at best one of the factors that influences population growth rate. Economic and social (education levels, esp among women, etc) factors trump religion for the most part. Examples:

1. Population growth rate among Muslims vary by region. Muslims of Tamil Nadu have lower fertiliity rate than Hindus of twelve northern states. If religion was the dominant factor, how could this be the case? Muslims tend to have higher family size because of lower income and educational levels.

2. Hindus in Kashmir have twice the growth rate as that of Muslims. Why? Maybe minority status has a social-psychological impact, and encourages larger family size.

3. Internationally, take the case of six Islamic countries: Iran, Algeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia. All of them have seen rapid decline in fertility. In Turkey the population growth rates have stabilized or have even started declining below replacement levels (that is declining population). Algeria and Iran have decreased family size from six to under three in less than a decade. Often times, it is the availability of contraceptives, government policies, which have greater impact than religion.

The relationship between population and growth is thus far from a simply determinsitic one. There are a number of factors which mediate the relationship. Let us not swallow the RSS/Shiv Sena propaganda without thinking.

[jagmohan]

Dear All,

Desperate situation - Desperate solution.

First and foremost, personal example. Let us first start it here. Let no one be allowed to become member of JATLAND who has more than one child. Give a cut off date of say 2008 (I have only one child).

Second, in the villages where the lands have disappeared because of division, let there be an understanding between brothers that all of them will marry but only one of them will be allowed to father a child. Toss a coin if you will. It is the only way to rediscover land!!! And if the first born is a daughter, so be it. She inherits the land.

Third, don't marry your children in families that have more than one child.

Fourth, couples having more than one child be debarred from social gatherings. Not a difficult thing to practice.

Fifth, all those who have daughters and sons should write in their will that their pyre be lit by their daughters.

And lastly, let us not bother about the growing population of Muslimss. They are not muliplying at the rate being mentioned by some groups. And forget about throwing them out of here. They are 15 Crores. The only alternative to co-existence is co-destruction. It is better to be healthy & wealthy and be in a minority than to be starving, living in ghettos, uneducated and boast numbers.

My personal views and members have all the right to disagree.

Regards,

JS Malik

[abhishek]

Neeraj Vedwan (Oct 04, 2004 01:05 a.m.):
Let us not swallow the RSS/Shiv Sena propaganda without thinking.

Usual suspects ;-)

Religious tolerance cannot be taken as an excuse for demographic assault.
Regarding jats, I believe two-child norm has been more or less adopted. The problem lies in gender ratio which is far more lethal.

[mukeshkumar007]

Thankyou Virendra unclji for to raised a sensitive topic.

First of all dear I want to draw your attention on this statement of PARVIN TOGARIA president of VISAV HINDU PARISHAD
He told in a public meeting “ AGAR GOVERNMENT NE ALAPSANKYAK AYOG KI YOJNA KO BAND NAI KIYA TO HUM BI HINDUO SE 8 CHILLDREN PEDA KARNE KI APPIL KARENGE. Hindo ne hi teka nai le rekha parivar niyojan kalyan karykarm ko apnane ka. “

If such kind of people lives in India then I think it is impossible to control the population growth. They never think what they are going to say. They never judge that whatever they are going to say is right or wrong for nation.

If we have to control the population then first step we have to take that is “ pelae to parvin togaria jaise loga ko line maie kara kerke goli nikal deni hogi. “

After that we must need to follow the suggestion that was suggest by mailk unclji.
Thankyou malik unclji for ur kind and hard solutions.

And the major reason behind High population growth rate in muslim that is lack of security.
After the Gujrat kand muslims begin to think that they are not safe in own country because they are not in power and majority. It is a mentally think that be more strong after gurat kand.

[rksehrawat]

I have observed that as Hindus we can criticize only Hindus and as Jats only Jats. This is not good. Do we listen and observe only what some misguided elements among Hindus say or do. Can't we set our eyes on those Hindu/jat people who are doing good work. Let us separate grain from the cheff and not waste our time and energy in thinking or talking about what destructive people do. Moreover, if at all you have to cite Togadiyas than better make a comparison between him, Bukharis, christian missionaries, Mayawatis, LeT and other Kashmiri outfits, you will find Togadiya a very humble and moderate person.



mukesh kumar (Oct 04, 2004 06:37 a.m.):
Thankyou Virendra unclji for to raised a sensitive topic.

First of all dear I want to draw your attention on this statement of PARVIN TOGARIA president of VISAV HINDU PARISHAD
He told in a public meeting “ AGAR GOVERNMENT NE ALAPSANKYAK AYOG KI YOJNA KO BAND NAI KIYA TO HUM BI HINDUO SE 8 CHILLDREN PEDA KARNE KI APPIL KARENGE. Hindo ne hi teka nai le rekha parivar niyojan kalyan karykarm ko apnane ka. “

If such kind of people lives in India then I think it is impossible to control the population growth. They never think what they are going to say. They never judge that whatever they are going to say is right or wrong for nation.

If we have to control the population then first step we have to take that is “ pelae to parvin togaria jaise loga ko line maie kara kerke goli nikal deni hogi. “

After that we must need to follow the suggestion that was suggest by mailk unclji.
Thankyou malik unclji for ur kind and hard solutions.

And the major reason behind High population growth rate in muslim that is lack of security.
After the Gujrat kand muslims begin to think that they are not safe in own country because they are not in power and majority. It is a mentally think that be more strong after gurat kand.

[rksehrawat]

r.k. sehrawat (Oct 04, 2004 10:05 a.m.):
I have observed that as Hindus we can criticize only Hindus and as Jats only Jats. This is not good. Do we listen and observe only what some misguided elements among Hindus say or do. Can't we set our eyes on those Hindu/jat people who are doing good work. Though healthy criticizm is always good, blind criticizm is a manifestation of frustration and cowardice. Let us separate grain from the cheff and not waste our time and energy in thinking or talking about what destructive people do. Moreover, if at all you have to cite Togadiyas than better make a comparison between him, Bukharis, christian missionaries, Mayawatis, LeT and other Kashmiri outfits, you will find Togadiya a very humble and moderate person. If at all the bullet has to be used than first bullet should be fired at our politicians who politicize everything connected with religion in order to secure their vote bank.



mukesh kumar (Oct 04, 2004 06:37 a.m.):
Thankyou Virendra unclji for to raised a sensitive topic.

First of all dear I want to draw your attention on this statement of PARVIN TOGARIA president of VISAV HINDU PARISHAD
He told in a public meeting “ AGAR GOVERNMENT NE ALAPSANKYAK AYOG KI YOJNA KO BAND NAI KIYA TO HUM BI HINDUO SE 8 CHILLDREN PEDA KARNE KI APPIL KARENGE. Hindo ne hi teka nai le rekha parivar niyojan kalyan karykarm ko apnane ka. “

If such kind of people lives in India then I think it is impossible to control the population growth. They never think what they are going to say. They never judge that whatever they are going to say is right or wrong for nation.

If we have to control the population then first step we have to take that is “ pelae to parvin togaria jaise loga ko line maie kara kerke goli nikal deni hogi. “

After that we must need to follow the suggestion that was suggest by mailk unclji.
Thankyou malik unclji for ur kind and hard solutions.

And the major reason behind High population growth rate in muslim that is lack of security.
After the Gujrat kand muslims begin to think that they are not safe in own country because they are not in power and majority. It is a mentally think that be more strong after gurat kand.

[itsnavin]

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/23inter.htm

go through this interview with Q R Ilyas, spokesman for the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board on Family planning and growth.

Such is the thinking of these intellectuals(so called). They just don't want muslims in India to take up the issue of family planning.

[nvedwan]

Dr Rafiq Zakaria is one of the foremost living scholars of Islam in the world. Author of numerous books, his latest being "Indian Muslims: Where did they go wrong?", he explains below, how there is nothing in Quran which suggests that family planning should not be practiced.

Zakaria on Islam and birth control

By: Rafiq Zakaria
September 25, 2004

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board is a highly respected body; but it has no enforcing authority in law.

It came into existence only a few decades ago, mainly due to the efforts of its founder-President the late Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, popularly known as Ali Mian.

He was the rector of Darul Uloom Deoband and therefore right from its inception, the Board had a predominance of Deobandis.

Brelvis are opposed to them and consequently refuse to recognise the Board. Almost 90 percent of Sunnis owe their allegiance to the Brelvis.

Since the advent of the British, all cases pertaining to Muslim Personal Law, legally characterised as Mohammedan Law, are decided by the courts.

There is much talk these days of the abrogation of ‘Tripple talaq’, but it is enforced in India because of the judgement in the case of Rashid Ahmad (1919) delivered by the Privy Council, upholding its legality.

Hence, the Muslim Personal Law Board cannot abrogate it; it is only our Supreme Court.

With this background, the hue and cry recently raised against family planning by the Board has no significance.

They do not carry much weight with the generality of the Muslims. Family Planning is a national policy, which has been unanimously sanctioned by our Parliament in 1966 and no citizen has any right to go against it.

Facts and figures amply demonstrate that Muslims have wholeheartedly accepted it and have been willingly implementing it for the last several decades.

They realise that the country cannot afford to allow unchecked population growth as it negates progress and paralyses economic development.

Most Muslim countries have, since long, been practising family planning; some of them like Bangladesh and Indonesia have achieved remarkable success.

It is wrong to propagate that it is contrary to the teachings of Islam.

Jamia al-Azhar, the 1000-year old, Centre of Islamic Theology, which is accepted by Muslims all over the world as the most authentic voice of Shariah, has issued several fatwas in favour of family planning; so has the grand Imam of Masjidul Haram, situated in the precincts of the holy Kaaba.

Likewise, all Muslim heads of states have publicly endorsed family planning, which was unanimously approved by the United Nations General Assembly.

From the data collected by various survey groups, it is firmly established that Muslims in India are fully supportive of family planning.

One such survey was conducted in 1970-71 by the Operations Research Group (ORG) of Baroda.

It showed that 8.8 per cent Muslims as against 13.8 per cent Hindus were practising birth control. In 1980–81, the Muslim percentage rose to 22.5 as against the Hindu percentage of 36.1.

In the third survey carried out by ORG in 1988, the community–wise break-up in each state clearly showed that Muslims do not lag far behind Hindus in the acceptance of the various methods of birth control.

Even the latest Census Report confirms that the rate of population growth among Muslims has substantially come down. It fell from 32.9 per cent in 1981-91 to 29.3 per cent in 1991-2001.

There is enough theological evidence in support of family planning. There is a well-known tradition of the Prophet, which states: “More children add to poverty, while less numbers ease it.”

According to Sahih Muslim, one of the two authentic books of traditions, the Prophet is reported to have said, “He who has two daughters and devotes himself to their upbringing and proper care will, on the Day of Judgement, be as near to me as two fingers.”

This is in accordance with the general admonition in the Quran: “Let those who do not have the means for marriage, keep themselves chaste until God provides them the means by His Grace.” (24:33)

Imam Abu Hanifa (700–767), who is regarded as the tallest among the four founders, has said, “There is no doubt that excess of children causes great worries to their parents.” Imam Ghazali (1058-1111), who is universally hailed as “the rejuvenator of Islam.”

In his well-known treatise entitled Ihya Ulum ad-Din, he asked Muslims to be guided by the resources and opportunities they could provide for their children and thus to restrict their number to bring them up properly.

Shah Abdul Aziz (1746-1842), the son of the legendary Shah Waliullah, regarded as the doyen of Indian theologians, has opined that even abortion was permissible. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, whose Tafsirul Quran has become world classic, declared: “Apparently there is no reason why Shariat would interfere in the matter of birth control.

"This is purely a medical or a social problem. If enlightened people feel that it has become necessary for the welfare of the society, they can certainly favour it.”

Today, it is absolutely necessary that every citizen, practices family planning. Unfortunately some of our religious leaders are unaware of the danger population explosion poses.

Also they seem oblivious to growing poverty, acute unemployment and the widespread diseases which have gripped more than 90 percent of Muslims; their plight, according to the latest census statistics, is the worst in every respect.

Do these protagonists of orthodoxy want the Muslim boys become beggars and Muslim girls are thrown to the streets to earn their living? Allama Iqbal, the renowned poet-philosopher, has rightly said:

Quom kya hai, quomom ki imamat kya hai; Is ko kya samjhain bechare do-rakat kay imam

What is a nation? How to lead it? Poor Imam! It is beyond his comprehension.

[mbamal]

Exploding Population is only an effect...the cause is illiteracy and poverty. A nice plan to tackle this problem is proposed here..

www.wakeupcall.org

in pdf format:

http://www.wakeupcall.org/our_goal/red-20th-of-sep%202004.pdf

[uday]

Col. sahab,
ram ..ram..

Aisa aadesh mat de dena na to mssahan si 40-50 member he reh jaangey :-) :-) :-D

Lt Col Jagmohan Malik (Retd) (Oct 04, 2004 12:50 a.m.):
Dear All,

Desperate situation - Desperate solution.

First and foremost, personal example. Let us first start it here. Let no one be allowed to become member of JATLAND who has more than one child. Give a cut off date of say 2008 (I have only one child).

Regards,

JS Malik

[uday]

Absolutely correct ..

Abhishek Dhama (Oct 04, 2004 03:13 a.m.):

The problem lies in gender ratio which is far more lethal.

[uday]

Population Explosion..

We all mising Sanjay Gandhi... for those who had seen and remember Emergency era...

Kaisey kaisey gamma main log aapney balkoon ko Obbrey aur sandooka min lakhoye kartey...

Us time ke yeh kiwandeet nahi hai apeetu katu satya... Baad main kafi mashoor bhi hoya tha... Emergency ke 3 dalal.. Indira, sanjay or Bansilal.

Baki lagey raho.

[uday]

Uday Dahiya (Oct 04, 2004 11:40 a.m.):
Population Explosion..

We all mising Sanjay Gandhi... for those who had seen and remember Emergency era...

Kaisey kaisey gamma main log aapney balkoon ko Obbrey aur sandooka min lakhoye kartey...

Us time ke yeh kiwandeet nahi hai apeetu katu satyata hai... Baad main kafi mashoor bhi hoya tha... Emergency ke 3 dalal.. Indira, sanjay or Bansilal.

Baki lagey raho.

[shokeen123]

For socially controversial, politically bankrupt, and most often economically unfeasible to implement issues such as family planning, reproductive, maternal and adolescent health there are no cut and dry answers especially wherein one could wave a magic wand and hope for the problem to disappear. We shouldn’t think of reinventing the wheel every time we are faced with the multitude manifestations of population explosion around us. Secondly, I would like to isolate if I may, the problem of family planning from the affects of Islam – at least in context of my discussion. We need not necessarily look at the disadvantages of ‘lack of birth control’ but rather the advantages of education and empowerment – I tend to see the glass half full!

The change will neither come from preaching to the choir, nor will the eloquent lip service to the community do any good! Population explosion is here to stay – to eradicate this colossal problem we need to begin at the bottom, the grass root level. It is possible if only people (the men folk) of our community allow their sisters, daughters, nieces, daughters-in-law and wives to make informed choices about their education, life partner and then - only then comes the choice of reproductive health, the crux of family planning! And yes, this can be done; I am living example of such an empowerment. Like millions of village girls I too grew up in a small village (near Najafgarh) surrounded by shackles of Neanderthal, but I changed my destiny single-handedly because I was allowed the freedom to choose – to study higher, to choose the profession of my choice, and to marry the life partner of my choice. A lot of you city dwellers have exercised exactly that right, but for me the road was full of obstacles and the journey much harder. Many Jatlanders who frequent this site despite their sound education treat such issues to be someone else’s problem! Nonetheless, charity begins at home, look around your own extended family, your village, your town and find that struggling young adolescent girl at the brink of her future, give her the lift to go for higher studies, be her guide and moral booster and make it economically and tangibly feasible for her to achieve the improbable. The single most achievement of my life to this day remains my ability to give my daughter the best education. I am proud to say that at 15, she is 5-11, an ‘A’ student and the class president of one of the elite, all-girls schools in the country. This was the imagination I had in the ‘field of dreams’ while helping my father with harvests during the high school years. No, this is far from bragging, this is plain truth.

We don’t need NGOs, there already exists one, especially for India. http://www.unfpa.org.in/ I have cut and pasted two relevant Press Releases, pay attention to the ‘adolescent’ health. Actually, I know one other site www.Ajata.org that has proved to be pretty powerful and strong in bringing grass root level changes. It has a small, very dedicated, committed and well organized contingency of people (without halos) with concrete action plans. If one wants to see democracy, educational and or social innovations, and optimal group dynamics in action go no further. The site has been active with its roots firm in place, for many years and has helped fund new schools in rural India. A few hundred needy students have and are benefiting from it. AJATA members contribute not only with their ideas but also in kind, including involvement of their professionally skilled children in health and educational projects (eye camp organized in a rural village by US educated daughter of one of the members). Their ideas are formulated through needs assessment of similar overriding social issues. They achieve through objective planning, fund raising and resource allocation to the targeted population.

I am sure we can tang along these small scale projects and in the long run we will have changed a few lives.

[shokeen123]

Press Release from UNFPA India Chapter

Preparing to address population challenges

NEW DELHI, 14 April 2004 -- India, while signing the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 (ICPD POA), set out a number of population and development goals over a 20-year period. This year, being the mid-point of the ICPD POA, will witness several worldwide and India specific activities to commemorate ten years of what has been achieved and what still needs to be done.

A Government of India (GOI) and civil society consultation was held in New Delhi on 14 April 2004 to plan ahead for meeting the goals of the ICPD POA. Some organizations that participated in the meeting included Plan India, Lawyers Collective, SEWA, Packard Foundation, CEHAT, CHETNA, and the Voluntary Health Association of India.

While there has been significant success in slowing down population growth in India, much remains to be done to ensure service availability and a rights-based, gender sensitive approach to population issues. In a country where sons are preferred over daughters, the skewed child sex ratio is a blaring example of the injustice done to girls even before they are born. High infant and maternal mortality rates continue to be stumbling blocks in meeting the needs of the community by providing quality reproductive health services. A significant focus is required to address these concerns with a special focus on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH).

One of the key themes that emerged in the discussions was that of “missing girls” – the declining sex ratio and sex selective abortions, the two-child norm, and gender and equity concerns. It was decided that over the next couple of years, an intensive dialogue would take place among teachers, doctors and lawyers at one level and college students and various community groups on the other level. The media would be involved in a large way and could be a key player in expediting the dialogue.

Since undertaking the dialogue across the country would not be feasible immediately, seven states in the western belt, with the most adverse child sex ratios, were prioritized to begin the process. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi were short-listed and key institutions were identified to facilitate a dialogue in each of the states over the next 6-8 months.

This ICPD+10 consultation between the Government of India and civil society served as an effective platform to initiate a dialogue on how civil society can contribute to furthering the ICPD programme of action.

[shokeen123]

Press Release UNFPA - India Chapter

Preparing adolescents to make informed choices

RAJASTHAN, ORISSA, GUJARAT, MADHYA PRADESH, 30 June 2004 -- Today, India has the largest adolescent population it has ever had at any time of its history. At the global level, it has put India ahead of any other country in terms of the sheer number of adolescents in its population. India, therefore, has come face-to-face with the challenge of addressing the needs of this huge and impressionable, age group.

One of the most sensitive issues associated with adolescents and young people is sexuality. Young people in relation to their reproductive and sexual health face diverse challenges. These are of critical importance to them and vary greatly depending on their cultural and geographical backgrounds. These issues include forced early marriage, lack of opportunities, unwanted pregnancy, early child bearing, and the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs), and female genital mutilation. For all young people the need for accurate information, non-judgmental counseling and affordable and accessible services are paramount n over coming these challenges and helping them to avoid unwanted pregnancies, care for their sexual health and take advantage of education and other opportunities.

An important component of UNFPA’s work in India focuses on adolescents and emphasizes those issues that are vital to their physical and emotional well-being. Sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) in adolescent programmes is a new one in the social and cultural context of Indian society. However, ASRH is an issue that, if left unaddressed, could have serious adverse effects on the health of the young population.

UNFPA’s adolescent programme looks at ways in which ASRH issues can be integrated into the school curriculum and imparted to out-of-school youth using a Life Skills Education (LSE) approach. LSE is a mechanism to equip adolescents with the knowledge and expertise to be confident and self-reliant in a social, personal, and professional setting.

With the aim of taking ASRH issues all the way to the grass roots, training sessions were held in Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh from April-June 2004 for those who would be conducting workshops and learning sessions on ASRH in the districts. This training was geared towards addressing the concerns of the participants in effectively addressing ASRH issues. It also aimed at improving the understanding and ability of the participants to speak about and conduct interactive activities in the context of ASRH using the LSE approach.

A national level core team was formed to train the trainers to effectively reach out to adolescents at the district level. UNFPA’s involvement in the training was directed at reviewing the content of the training in terms of methods and materials used and the effectiveness of the core team.

The Training of Trainers (TOT) was a vital step to create awareness on Reproductive and Sexual Health issues among adolescents.

[singhkapoor]

Sujata

Thank you very much for complimenting NAJC (North American Jat Charities – www.ajata.org, www.najcharities.org ) in your beautifully written article.

We are a small (membership: 57….and growing) but very cohesive group of passionate people led by the likes of Mr. Ram S. Arya – a philanthropist to the core of his heart. It is gratifying to know that more and more people have started recognizing the work done by this young (started in 1994) but very effective charity.

NAJC is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, seeking to empower the Jat community through its cost effective charitable programs that focus on education, values and health & wellness.

Collective action, generous financial donations and intellectual contributions from like-minded people enable under-privileged jats to confront adversity through knowledge and self-confidence.

By the way, NAJC is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on Dec. 11, 2004. Everyone is invited to join us in Edison, New Jersey, for a fun-filled evening featuring professional entertainment and a sumptuous dinner.
Admission is Free.

Kapoor Singh
609 705 5018 Cell


Sujata (Oct 04, 2004 04:08 p.m.):

Actually, I know one other site www.Ajata.org that has proved to be pretty powerful and strong in bringing grass root level changes. It has a small, very dedicated, committed and well organized contingency of people (without halos) with concrete action plans. If one wants to see democracy, educational and or social innovations, and optimal group dynamics in action go no further. The site has been active with its roots firm in place, for many years and has helped fund new schools in rural India. A few hundred needy students have and are benefiting from it. AJATA members contribute not only with their ideas but also in kind, including involvement of their professionally skilled children in health and educational projects (eye camp organized in a rural village by US educated daughter of one of the members). Their ideas are formulated through needs assessment of similar overriding social issues. They achieve through objective planning, fund raising and resource allocation to the targeted population.

I am sure we can tang along these small scale projects and in the long run we will have changed a few lives.

[raj2rif]

Dear Sujata Ji,

Thank you very much for speaking about our organization and our website. We are trying to do whatever we can.

We will be happy if more members visit our websites that Kapoor Singh Ji has mentioned in his post.