Family planning: as important for the child as for the mother and for the family
Doordarshan
Swasth Hind 24(11): 294-295
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0586-1179 PMID: 12337660 Document Number: 460711
The following were among the questions directed to India's Prime Minister Indira Ghandi: what priorities does the government accord to the family planning program; is there any alternative for economic viability for the country in the face of failure to curb the population growth rate to a manageable proportion; should family planning be part of the minimum national consensus, i.e., above party politics; what steps is the government taking to revitalize the family planning program; and is there a need to review the law in order to determine how it can be made more supportive of the family planning effort. Ghandi noted that India's government was the 1st in the entire world to adopt family planning as a official program, and this action shows how important family planning is to the country. She maintained that the real answer is development--development to provide what the people really need and development because it helps to curb families. Ghandi made the point that a subject like family planning should be above any controversy, but in actuality there has been considerable propaganda against family planning in India. To revitalize the program, Ghandi identified the need for involving the entire population rather than just the department in charge of family planning. She indicated that schools, the youth movement, women's organizations and other institutions which are concerned with any type of social welfare should be involved in family planning. Finally, Ghandi reported that the government is doing a great deal to raise the status of women in India, beginning by helping girls to continue their education.