Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma’s appeal to the Zo people to increase their population at the ZOFEST 2024 program organized by the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on December 4 has sparked mixed reactions.
Addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest, Lalduhoma emphasized the low population density of Mizoram compared to other Indian states. He stated, “We have more land and space for more people. Increasing the population is part of the government’s policy. We are planning schemes to support families with three or more children.” However, some citizens have criticised this appeal.
In Mizoram, it is common to appeal to increase the population. In August 2023, the Tuikual Presbyterian Church decided to give money to people having children, with the amount increasing with each child: Rs. 3,000 for the first child, Rs. 5,000 for the fifth child, and Rs. 10,000 for families with five children or more. Earlier this year, on February 15, 2024, the Mizoram Baptist Women’s Organisation adopted a resolution to encourage people to have more children.
In most Mizo families, it has become the norm that the grandparents, who were from a generation not aware of family planning, had around 10–11 children, while the next generation had around 5 or 6 children. The present generation, however, usually stops at two or a maximum of four children.
Jacqueline Zote, a mother of one and a content creator, reacted to the Chief Minister’s statement, saying, “Basic utilities are already insufficient for us, and the employment opportunities are not enough for the educated youth. To have more children, both parents must work to afford it. For working mothers, childcare resources are lacking, and finding a reliable nanny is difficult.”
She further questioned, “Who will carry the burden of producing and raising these children to ensure they grow healthy and well-adjusted? This kind of thinking doesn’t align with the realities of modern life. We first need progress in basic utilities, employment, education, healthcare, and childcare resources.”
According to the Annual Reports of Births and Deaths in Mizoram, in 2010, the birth rate was 22%, in 2019 it was 18.05%, and in 2023 it was 18.89%. A study on the Registration of Births and Deaths in Mizoram by Dr. Lalchhuanmawia, Associate Professor at Govt. T. Romana College, found that the number of births recorded in Mizoram in 2010 was 25,752, consisting of 14,684 from rural areas (57.02% of the total births recorded) and 11,068 from urban areas (42.98%).
The number of deaths in 2010 was 1,931 in rural areas and 3,434 in urban areas. The birth rate was high in rural areas, whereas the death rate was higher in urban areas. The number of deaths in 2019 was 4%, in 2020 it was 5.01%, and in 2023 it was 6.28%.
The study further found that the number of births in Mizoram declined from 25,752 in 2010 to 23,813 in 2019, a decrease of about 7.5% over ten years.
The birth statistics from rural and urban areas show opposite trends: in rural areas, the number of births decreased by nearly 35%, with the birth rate declining from 27 to 15.32 per thousand, while in urban areas, the number of births increased by about 28.8%, and the birth rate rose from 18 to 49 per thousand.
Puitei Azyu, a research scholar from Lawngtlai, who is currently in Aizawl for her studies, also commented on the issue from the perspective of house rent. She said, “In Aizawl, even a three-member family struggles to find a house to rent. Even for houses that charge Rs. 10,000, landlords don’t allow visitors or guests. But for those coming from villages, it’s not possible not to have any guests in times of sickness or celebration. It’s hard to earn Rs. 10,000 in the Mizoram economy. To have three children or more, you’d need a stable government job and your land and house. Our economy is not suited for increasing the population.”
Lalmuanpuii, a mother of three children, also commented on the struggles of having more children without owning property. She said, “Having more children without owning property is very difficult, especially when renting someone else’s home where they don’t allow additional members. Without economic strength, if there aren’t enough working family members, we struggle to support the family. It’s hard to provide a good education for the children, and they end up suffering.”
“In the past, large families would leave children to work in the fields while older siblings cared for the younger ones. Now, one parent must often stay home to care for the children. Therefore, the decision to have more or fewer children depends on one’s economic situation,” she added.
Also Read: How vigilantes tortured a 32-year-old to death in Mizoram amidst his mother’s plea for mercy
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