The Karnataka State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) has criticised Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s proposal to bring in a piece of legislation to make two-child norm mandatory for those availing themselves of benefits under the State Government’s welfare schemes.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, CPM State Secretary V.J. K Nair sought to clarify that communist ideology never favoured the Malthusian theory of population control. “The Chinese Government had departed from the classical communist outlook on the matter,” he said in an effort to remove the misunderstanding among people that communists favoured strict family planning measures.
Mr. Nair said China had already begun facing difficulties on account of its strict population control measures. “They have to contend with a growing population of old people. Unlike China, India has a large young population,” he said.
Mr. Nair criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government’s proposal to deny ration cards to families with more than two children. “They should remove all restrictions on provision of ration. Public Distribution System should be universalised,” he said and suspected the BJP Government of furthering its communal agenda by promoting a two-child norm.
Church attack
Coming down strongly on the attack on a church at Hebbagudi on Thursday morning, Mr. Nair said the State Government should take steps to put down the menace with keeps surfacing from time to time.
Recalling the serial attacks on churches across Karnataka during September last year, Mr. Nair suspected the “same forces” to be behind the vandalisation of the church in Hebbagudi on Thursday.
Linking Thursday’s incident to the stepped up attacks on minorities in Dakshina Kannada and Belgaum districts, he said there appeared to be concerted efforts aimed at targeting the minorities in the State and the ruling party should play a responsible role.
Mr. Nair criticised the response of Home Minister V.S. Acharya, who he alleged was “completely controlled by the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS).”
